The Keys to End the Darkness
by Deathsembrace137
Summary: When a growing darkness is sensed, Lucy's magic responds. Laxus stumbles upon her in a trance like state, and follows her. Just how far will his curiosity and strange need to protect her take him? A story written by Deathsembrace137, and LifeInTheSky
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

**Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail**

**This is a story written by both Deathsembrace137, and Summer L. Sora.**

**Enjoy.**

Lucy stretched her arms over her head. She had just finished her nightly work out. It really could hardly be called a workout, more of a routine. Just a few sets of pushups and sit-ups. Nothing major, but enough to keep her current state of fitness. She was now making her way over to the shower. After a quick wash up, it would be time for bed.

Bed, she thought. She realized that she was feeling much more tired than usual. Her muscles ached a bit, and her movements seemed slower than usual. Almost as if she had been using magic, and a lot of it. Yet, she hadn't opened a single gate today. Maybe I'm just coming down with a cold, Lucy wondered. With that thought she stepped into the shower, and quickly washed up, eager to snuggle into her cozy bed. As soon as her shower was finished, Lucy grabbed the first set of pjs she saw, a pair of short silky black shorts, and a matching camisole, and then jumped into bed. She sighed with relief as she felt her muscles relaxing. Before long, the celestial mage had drifted off to sleep.

Her sleep was restless. The blonde tossed and turned constantly. A thin sheen of sweat started to cover her body. Her dreams were dark. She was searching for something, but she couldn't find it. All she knew was that it was vital that she reached what she was searching for. In her dream she stumbled forward, some unseen force driving her onwards, and she had no choice but to let it lead her.

Suddenly, Lucy's eyes shot open. Her brown orbswere no longer able to be seen. In their place were bright gold glowing magic circles. The blonde slowly sat up in bed. She turned her body, carefully placing her feet on the floor, and then stood up. Soft footsteps pulled her forward, leading her towards the door. She slowly descended the stairs of her apartment, and unknowingly made her way onto the street.

Laxus was walking home from the guild. He had been having a few drinks and listening to Bixlow talk on and on about various hot woman in the guild. All the talk was pointless, in Laxus opinion, no way was Bixlow landing any of the hot Fairy girls. As he walked to his house in the forest, he suddenly sensed a strange magic coming up behind him. He turned his head, looking to see what it was. His eyes widened in shock as he watched his blonde guild mate walk slowly towards him. He knew that it was Lucy Heartfillia, he could tell by the smell of her, and the sight of her guild mark. However, she was dressed in some very skimpy pajamas, and her eyes were glowing with magic circles. She also seemed to be completely unaware of him.

He watched as she slowly walked past him, her pace neither slow nor fast. In fact, she looked like she was sleep walking. Laxus stepped up to her, and waved his hand in front of her face. Lucy just kept on walking.

"Oi, Blondie!" Laxus called out to her. No response, just the same careful pace. Scowling, Laxus decided to follow her. After all she was in just her pajamas, sleep walking, and it didn't look like she had her keys. Not to mention her current state didn't seem to be one that could defend itself. He also knew Gramps would kill him if he didn't keep her safe. So that left following her. He found himself faintly curious about where she was going anyway. With that final thought, he fell into step behind her.

They had now entered the forest, and Lucy's pace was starting to become more determined. Her steps were quickening slightly, and she was no longer carefully placing her feet. Laxus quickened his step in order to keep up with her, and then continued to look around for signs of danger. He was worried that the magic she was emitting would draw out creatures. Not that he couldn't deal with them, but he wanted to be prepared, and he needed to keep her in sight.

Their walking suddenly drew to a stop, as Lucy came to a stiffhalt. He quickly walked in front of her to see if she had awoken. Her face though was still blank, with the golden magic circles glowing brightly. He watched as she stood there for a moment, and then she suddenly knelt down. Her hands started clawing at the ground, pulling away moss, and digging into the dirt.

Laxus looked on bewildered. What the hell was she doing? He thought. Her hands and knees were getting all dirty, and with the frantic way she was clawing at the dirt, he wouldn't be surprised if she rubbed her fingers raw. Still, he decided not to wake her. For one, he had no idea what kind of a trance she was in. Also, with her magic circles, he wasn't sure if any attempt to wake her would result in him getting attacked. He knew he could take whatever she threw at him, but if she became uncontrollable, he didn't want to hurt her. Sighing, he stepped back to lean against a tree and watch. Vaguely he wondered if Bixlow would still think she was hot if he could see her now. Then again, Bixlow was into crazy things, and this was definitely crazy.

About ten minutes later, Lucy suddenly stopped again. He leaned forward, watching to see what would happen next. She suddenly collapsed onto the ground, her golden eyes closing. He immediately rushed forward, and flipped her over.

"Lucy?" He called, shaking her, in his mind gently, but in reality it was rather roughly. He heard a low groan from her. He watched as her eyes cracked open. Normal brown orbs stared back at him. He noticed a look of confusion cross over the pretty blondes face, and suddenly it contorted with anger.

"Lucy Kick!" She screamed, and he was suddenly kicked right in the jaw, the force throwing him back several feet. He raised his eyebrows, surprised she he didn't see it coming, and also by the force of it. "What are you doing in my apartment?" Lucy screeched. She watched as Laxus stared at her like she was an idiot.

"Seriously?" Laxus finally said, his voice low and amused. Lucy quirked an eyebrow, and finally looked around. Her mouth dropped open as she realized she was in the forest. Then she looked down at herself.

"Eeek!" She squealed. "I'm all dirty! What did you do to me Laxus Dreyar!?" She yelled angrily.

He immediately held his hands up, shaking his head. "I didn't do nothing." He said, scowling. "You walked by me when I was on my way home from the guild. You were dressed like that, and you were sleep walking or something. I tried calling out to you, but you just kept walking. Your eyes were glowing too, and I sensed weird magic coming from you." He explained.

She looked at him suspiciously for a few minutes. "Fine!" She finally muttered. "So I just walked out here. Why am I covered in dirt?" She asked.

Laxus shrugged. "You've been digging in the dirt for the past twenty minutes." He answered.

She glared again. "And you didn't think to stop me?" She accused.

He shrugged again. "I was curious. You should be happy I followed you out here. You don't have your keys on you." He said.

"Oh. Well thanks, I guess." Lucy murmured.

Lucy then stepped forward to look at where she was digging. A glint had caught her eyes. She leaned closer, looking to see what it was. Recognizing the shape, she leaned forward and picked it up.

"What's that?" Laxus asked. He had seen her pick something up out of the hole, but couldn't tell what it was.

"It's a gate key." Lucy murmured quietly. "I can't tell which one it is, it's too dirty. I wonder if this is what made me come out here." She said softly.

"Well come on. My house is close by, you can clean it there. You should also probably spend the night, I'm not walking you back to your apartment, and it's dangerous out here at night." Laxus offered. Lucy looked up and him, and then nodded. She slowly stood up onto her feet, and stretched her wary limbs out. She was so caught up wondering about the key that she didn't notice the lightning mage raise an eyebrow, as a large portion of her smooth midriff showed.

After a few minutes of walking they found themselves standing outside a small stone house. Laxus smoothly walked forward, entering the house and leaving Lucy standing unsure on the doorstep. After a minute he came back and stared at her.

"Well, are you coming in?" He asked gruffly.

She slowly nodded in reply, and took a step inside.

He slammed the door behind him, and then pointed down the hall. "There's a bathroom down there, go wash up." He ordered.

She nodded meekly, and then ran off to do as she was told.

Once Lucy had closed the bathroom door behind her, she sighed, and slowly slumped to the ground. She hadn't wanted to show any weakness in front of Laxus, but she felt exhausted. Whatever magic had overtaken her, leading her to the key, had left her almost completely drained. She felt like she was only just now able to breathe and only now finally able to think about exactly where she was. She still wasn't quite sure how she had ended up here. I mean, she knew that her magic had pulled her to find the key, but how did Laxus play into this. She knew that he had been different since returning to the guild, but she hadn't expected him to care enough about her, that he was willing to follow her through the woods. Then again, he did say he was curious. That's probably why, she thought. He just wanted to know what I was doing. Sighing to herself, Lucy sat back up. She walked over to the shower and turned it on.

Turning around she saw a black towel sitting on the counter, neatly folded. He must have placed it there when she was outside, she thought. There was also a button up purple shirt. Seeing that she'd have something clean to change into, she stepped into the shower. The heat did wonders on her sore aching body, and as she relaxed, she slowly felt her magic levels restoring. It was really the oddest feeling. Almost like a tingly heat starting in her core, and spreading outwards, removing the achiness from her limbs. Lucy was surprised at how quickly it was coming back. It usually took her at least a day to restore the magic that she had lost, but here she was gaining it back in less than an hour. I must be getting stronger. Maybe that's how I was able to sense that key, she thought. The only way to know for sure would be to ask Crux, or maybe Leo or Capricorn. However it seems she had left her keys at home, so that wasn't going to happen.

Annoyed that she didn't have answers for herself, Lucy decided maybe the new key would be able to tell her something. So, Lucy hurriedly grabbed Laxus body wash. She squeezed out a large amount on her hands, and almost gasped. The smell was amazing. It was slightly spicy and woody. She loved it. She quickly began rubbing it over her skin, enjoying the smell, as she lathered it onto her body. As much as she would love to stay there and continue relaxing in the shower, her curiosity was getting the better of her. Finally finishing the shower, Lucy grabbed the towel and dried off quickly. She only donned her undergarments, and Laxus shirt. Her outer clothes were completely ruined from the dirt, so she tossed them in the waste bucket.

Feeling ten times better then when she entered the bathroom, Lucy happily left it. She made her way into the kitchen where Laxus was sitting at a barstool drinking a beer. Seeing her, he offered a bottle to her, which she accepted, somewhat cautiously. She wasn't huge on drinking, as she'd never had much opportunity to when living with her father. Laxus popped the top off the beer before handing it to her. She took a small sip, and cringed slightly, not exactly enjoying the bitter taste, but not opposed to it either. Setting the beer on the counter, Lucy pulled out the key she had found.

"Do you have a dishcloth, or something I can use to clean this?" She asked Laxus. He nodded and pointed to a drawer by his stove. She walked up to it, and pulled out a black dishtowel. She raised her eyebrow a bit, and turned back to Laxus.

"You got a thing for black?" She asked.

"So what if I do." He simply stated. She shrugged, not really caring. Then she went to the faucet, and turned on warm water. She poured some into a glass and stuck the key into it to soak for a minute. Then she wet the rag, adding some dish soap onto it. Taking the key again, she started softly rubbing the grime off of it. Laxus watched her carefully. He didn't know why she was doing it so slow. She was treating it like a baby. She reminded him of Bixlow with his dolls. How the hell do I get stuck with all the crazies, he thought.

After a minute he heard her gasp. He stood up, and went to look over her shoulder, curious to see what surprised her. As he walked over, she remained hunched over staring, slightly caressing the key in front of her. Taking a quick glance, he stopped in shock.

"What is that?" He asked. It looked like it was made of diamond, but he had never heard of that before.

"It's a diamond key. I didn't know they actually existed. If this one does, the others must too. I know there's a set, but I'm not sure how many." Lucy whispered in awe. He watched as she leaned in again, cleaning the rest of the dirt off. Once she was done, she sat back up. Turning, she held out the key, showing him. "It's the gate of the unicorn, I think. Monoceros is its name." She said.

He looked at her, and nodded his head. "Well, are you going to summon it?" He asked. She looked up and grinned.

"Yes, but I'll have to do it outside. No telling how big it is, or what its power is." She said, then she turned to walk outside. He followed close behind, curious in spite of his usual noncaring nature.

Once they had gone outside, Lucy looked at the key again. She slowly spread her legs a bit, adopting a battle stance, even though the circumstances didn't call for it. Raising the key out in front of her, she pressed it forward, and twisted it. She closed her eyes briefly, as she connected with her magic, and then willed it forward. "Open! Gate of the Unicorn, Monoceros!" She called loudly.

They stood there for a second before a bright light appeared in the sky. Lucy bent over slightly and gasped as she felt the drain on her magic.

"Powerful..." She murmured breathlessly.

Laxus looked at her and then turned his attention back to the light. Suddenly thunder roared across the sky and a lightning bolt struck the ground in front of them. Lucy immediately jumped back in shock, bumping into Laxus, who was staring incredulously. A large whitish grey unicorn had appeared within the lightning bolt. Electricity sparked across its figure, and lightning leapt from its ivory twisted horn. The unicorn slowly turned its body to face Lucy, its eyes glowing golden. Seeing her, and sensing his new master, the unicorn lowered its front legs and knelt down on the ground, offering her a bow.

**Hey all. Hope you enjoyed it. This first chapter was written by me, Deathsembrace.**

**Let me know what you all think!**

**Tomorrow or the day after we'll be posting Summer's chapter. **

**Also, the idea for Monoceros magic, and how he looks is based off of Yuna's aeon Ixion, from Final Fantasy X. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

**Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail~**

**Written by Summer L. Sora and Deathsembrace137, this chapter is by Summer.**

**Have a nice time reading!**

Lucy gaped, completely amazed by the giant creature standing in front of her. The unicorn regarded her curiously as it studied its master's reaction, and then snorted. Laxus had a slightly more calm reaction, as he marveled at the spirit. Surprisingly he found himself somewhat impressed by the blond girl's new key. Not that he thought her other spirits were weak, but they just weren't up to the same level as he himself was. But this creature was something else entirely, it seemed utterly strong, at least going by the looks of it.

Since Lucy was still speechless, Laxus blurted out the first thought that came to mind, which was a strange one. "What's your gender?"

The unicorn snorted again, finding this male standing beside his new owner amusing. Quite a question to ask, and in all the unicorn's long life, never had that question arisen before. Lucy, hearing it, snapped out of her thoughts, and promptly hit Laxus on the arm.

"What kind of a question was that? Of all the things you could ask or say, it had to be that." Lucy yelled exasperated.

Laxus merely shrugged. "It was a good question, besides, I was curious."

Monoceros regarded the exchange between its owner and the male, and for a reason it wasn't quite sure of, he realized they looked like how a married couples does when having a carefree battle of words. Though the two blondes did not show it, Monoceros could tell that they were somehow enjoying it.

"Pardon the interruption, Master." A deep baritone voice came from the spirit, stopping the conversation. "I am Monoceros, one of the Diamond Keys." Amused, it added, "I am a 'he'."

"I take it you use thunder and lightning magic?" Laxus questioned, interested that he was able to meet another who was able to use the same element as him.

"Yes, I do." Without a warning, a bolt of lightning shot towards the unicorn, but Monoceros just raised his horn in a casual way and the lightning bolt shot up into the sky, disappearing among the clouds.

"Laxus!" Lucy groaned, "That's my friend you're shooting at there, what's with you and impulsive decisions?"

"It's quite alright, I am able to control lightning, that element will not harm me. Setting that aside, I am here to inform you about the current situation." Monoceros's voice turned grave. "We Diamond Keys have a sense that is stronger than most spirits, and we have been foreseeing shadows in our visions. Danger is coming, and we have the power to stop it, or to help stop it, to do that, we need to find a single owner. You are the one we have chosen, we will begin calling to you. You can't stop your trances from happening. The rest of the keys are scattered, but they are not far, we will lead you to our keys."

"So I will start sleep walking whenever I am near a key?" Lucy questioned, not quite sure if this is a safe idea. She started fantasizing about her ending up in all sorts of dangerous situations.

"Yes, if they are close like my key was, but in most cases, you will be drawn to the key, and unable to do anything else but search for it." The thunder spirit explained.

Lucy looked unsure, and slightly uneasy, she felt like she should help the spirits, and this was a chance for her to get stronger. Looking again at Monoceros, she realized that all the other keys will be at least that powerful. Nodding her head, Lucy reached her decision, "I will help you, you are all my friends, how could I possibly refuse?"

Monoceros smiled, that is in a horse fashion. He could tell that he and the rest of the diamond spirits chosen the right owner, and that this master was the one.

"We thank you; I look forward to being one of your friends." Monoceros's voice grew warm at the word 'friend'. "I will leave you now." In a flash of gold light, the horse disappeared into the spirit realm.

Laxus was looking at the traces of light left behind, when Lucy's legs gave out; she collapsed onto the ground, just like before. Lucy was fully drained of magic after sustaining the unicorn for such a long period of time, as well as her earlier exertion from being drawn to the key. Seeing it was already late into the night, Laxus sighed. Leaning forward, Laxus scooped her up, and trudged back into his house. The moon lit the way for the blond dragon slayer as he carried Lucy, wrapped in his arms. Once he reached his bedroom, he set her on his bed, pulling the covers up over her. Then he turned and headed for his couch.

The smell of eggs and toast woke the celestial mage, she cracked open her eyes, wincing against the bright sunlight. She turned onto her side, ready to go back to sleep in her bed, when it registered that instead of the soft pink colors of her room, she saw plain, white walls. A black clock was hung on one of the bare sides. The bed was also harder than she would have liked, and the blanket was thick. Now Lucy understands why Natsu was so addicted to her bed, it was ten times more comfortable than the one she was in. Only one reason came to mind, she was still in Laxus's house.

Stifling a groan, she rolled over and sat up slowly, her muscles ached like the last time she ran the 24 hour endurance race. It was an unpleasant feeling. Swinging her legs to the side, she walked over to the shower, horrified that she had slept in her clothes, they were now wrinkly and crusted with dirt.

Filling up the tub, Lucy stepped inside, submerging fully, relaxing in the warm water. Her magic was restored, but she still felt extremely tired. Memories from the night before came flooding back. Lucy sighed, how did something this big happen in one single night? Now she would have to tell the guild too, and this problem will turn even bigger once the guild became involved.

"Oi, Blondie! Are you going to stay in that tub forever?" Laxus called, interrupting Lucy's silent reprieve.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming!" Lucy shouted as she got out, and dried off. She helped herself to another one of Laxus's shirt and pants, scowling at how big they were on her, then she followed the smell of food down into the kitchen. Laxus was holding a pan, cracking another egg to cook.

On the table were two plates, filled with toast and eggs, a plate of pancakes was laid in the middle. Lucy looked surprised when she saw all the food on the table, she never knew that Laxus could cook. But then again, how did he survive his days out there alone without being able to? Laxus was more human than she gave credit for.

"Morning!" Lucy greeted cheerfully, Laxus grunted in reply.

"Hope you slept well, at least you weren't sleepwalking again." Laxus said as he laid another egg on the plate. "You know we need to report this to Gramps, right? He'll need to know about this. So he can prepare for whatever is coming."

"Yeah, I know that. But whenever Fairy Tail gets their hands on something, the problem always grows bigger than it has to be." Lucy sighed. Then she dug into her egg, extremely hungry from her ordeal the night before, and mentally prepared herself for what's to come in Fairy Tail.

Laxus merely shrugged, and sat down with her, silence settling around the table as both mages were lost in thought. After eating, Lucy gathered her dirty clothes, and they set out for the guild, the new key in hand. Lucy studied the key as she walked. The top part was a curled horn crossed with a thunder sign. It glinted in the sunlight, the color was mostly white, but it was more clear and translucent. It was by far the best crafted key Lucy ever saw.

After Lucy managed to convince Laxus to stop at her house to change and grab the rest of her keys, the two blondes arrived in front of the guild. Lucy visibly stiffened at the sight of a brawl going on in the middle of the guild. She saw that almost every single member was involved. An occasional flash of pink and black were shown among the mages. At the side, Levy and Wendy were sitting, talking, while Mira was still at the bar.

Lucy and Laxus easily slipped through the crowd, the members being too caught up in fighting to notice the new arrivals. Waving 'hi' in Levy and Wendy's direction, Lucy walked up the stairs to Master's office. She ignored the surprised look given by Mira when the two blondes entered together. Once she reached the office, Lucy knocked on the door, and a muffled 'come in' was heard.

"Ah, Lucy." Makarov greeted, looking over at her, then he noticed her companion, and his eyes widened, "And Laxus, what brings you here?"

Lucy handed him the new key, and Makarov looked at it in wonder. "A Diamond Key, I thought it was lost a decade ago. Nobody has seen a trace of it until now, they were said to have disappeared when the last dragon was gone, in X777. Even then, no mage has been strong enough to use one for about as long as I can remember."

"Well, this is the key for Monoceros, the Unicorn, and we're now contracted to each other. He told me about a threat that they saw coming. They want me to collect them all, so that they can help when the threat presents itself. I decided to help them, not that I have much choice. I went into a trance last night, as the key drew at me. Laxus saw me walking, and realized I was unaware of my surroundings, and defenseless, so he followed me." Lucy told old master could see the determination, as well as the nervousness in the celestial mage's eyes. Still he knew that despite her nerves there was no stopping her now.

"The trances you go into are not able to be controlled, right? Then we need to protect you from dangers." Master's eyes landed on his grandson. "Laxus, since you already know what's going on, and since you are still a long way from becoming Master, see this is as a chance to prove yourself. You are to guard Lucy, and stay with her on missions and follow her when she goes to find the keys."

"What? Hell no! There is no way I would do that, I am not going to stalk Blondie for who knows how long, there has to be somone else, what about her team!" Laxus looked shocked at the suggestion, and Lucy was nodding in agreement with the lightning mage.

"You have no choice. Besides, it's a good way for you to get to know each other. Lucy you can stay with Laxus in his house, or Laxus can camp in yours, it's up to you guys. I'd rather have him then your team because he's strong enough to handle anything on his own. If it was your team they'd all have to be with you at all times in order to guard you."

"But he's a pervert!" Lucy protested, earning a glare from Laxus. She realized though, that master was right. It would be inconvenient for her whole team to follow her around. She was probably safer and better off with Laxus.

Makarov, being used to protests from his orders, easily tuned them out and went back to his paperwork. He had many complaints talking about missions gone wrong, and the damage made by his children. He sighed, and lifted his hand to wave the kids out of his office.

Laxus and Lucy were both glaring at each other when they came out of the office. The female mage stomped down the stairs, while the air around Laxus was crackling with thunder. The brawl had died down while the two were speaking to Master, and now members of the guild stared at the pair. Some openly gawking, while others just looked a little surprised.

"Is something wrong?" Mira questioned when they both sat down at the bar, still glaring at each other.

"Yes there is! Master assigned him," Lucy jabbed a figure at Laxus, "To follow me around. It's basically like stalking!"

"Is not, I have no choice. It's not like I'm happy about it either; I have better things to do." Laxus shot back. Inwardly though, he wasn't that opposed to the idea. If there was some sort of darkness coming, he wanted to know about it. Also, he was curious to see what other spirits she would find.

"Fine, but you bette—" Lucy stopped; her face froze, going slack. Her eyes closed, and when they opened again, they were glowing like before, gold magic circles appeared in her vacant eyes. She slowly turned around and got off the stool, and started walking towards the door.

"Lucy? Where are you going?" Mira's voice held a note of panic. Laxus just looked annoyed.

"There she goes again. I better follow her before Gramps gets angry." Laxus left a dumbfounded Mira, following Lucy to the next key.

**Hi~ this is by Summer L. Sora! Hope you enjoyed this lovely story.**

**Next chapter will be written by Deaths Embrace.**

**Leave a review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail.**

**Chapter Three.**

**Chapter by Deathsembrace.**

Everyone in the guild watched as Laxus rushed after Lucy. As soon as the two disappeared through the guild doors, murmurs and shouts broke out. The Master quickly came out of his office. He had sensed the change in Lucy's magic and heard Laxus say he was going after her, so he knew he would have to calm everyone down.

"Quiet, you brats!" Master yelled from his balcony.

Immediately everyone's faces turned up towards him, and then the barrage of questions started.

"Where'd Lucy go?"

"What happened to Luce?"

"Why is Laxus following her?"

"Is something wrong Master?

"What's going on?"

The questions continued, and the Master just sighed. Team Natsu was freaking out, even Erza was worriedly watching after Lucy. Levy was frantically looking through books, trying to figure out why Lucy's eyes had magic circles in them. The Thunder God Tribe was trying to figure out why their honored leader had gone after the celestial mage, and how he knew her in the first place. Pretty much every one had something to say, and they were all saying it loudly.

"I said QUIET!" The Master shouted. Silence quickly descended upon the room. "Now that I have your attention. Lucy is fine. Her magic is taking over her body for now, as new powerful keys draw her in. Laxus found her in this state last night, and accompanied her. For this reason, he will continue to accompany her until all the keys have been gathered. She will be safe with him. Now, I need Team Natsu, and also Levy to come up to my office." Then he turned and walked back into his office.

A few seconds later and all the asked for mages burst into his room. Erza walked in more calmly after them. They all looked like they were about to explode with questions, but with a raised hand from master and a glare from Erza, they all remained silent.

"Now. The reason I called you here is to further explain the situation. Lucy was sleeping last night when her magic took over and she ended up being drawn out into the middle of the woods, the magic didn't let her go until she found the key. It was a diamond key. They are extremely rare; no one is even sure how many there are. In all my life, I have never heard of a Celestial Mage strong enough to summon one. Lucy however did, which just goes to show how strong she really is." Master continued.

"When she contracted with the spirit, she was told that the diamond keys would be drawing her to them. Apparently they sense a coming darkness, and know they will be needed. Erza, Natsu and Gray, I need you to investigate any strange reports that come through here. I will also be contacting the other guild master. Levy, I would like you research the diamond keys, find out all you can. If you need to leave the guild to do this, take Gajeel. If there really is something happening, you will all need to remain vigilant. Now questions?" He asked.

Natsu was the first to speak up, "Why is Laxus going with Lucy instead of us?"

"Because he is stronger and more mature. If you all went with her, you'd attract more attention, and that's the last thing she needs. If anyone finds out she's searching for the keys, they may go after her, especially if they realize she can summon them." The master answered.

Then Erza spoke, "Do you wish us to stay together as a team when we investigate?"

"Yes. If and as more reports come in, I'll also send out the Strauss siblings, and the Thunder God Tribe. I have already informed Gildarts as well, and he is keeping his eyes open."

"Master, I've researched Celestial Magic before, since becoming friends with Lucy, and I've never seen mention of these keys. Do you have any suggestions on where to look?" Levy asked.

"We have another room of books here at the guild for you to look in. The room has information on rarer forms of magic, if you find nothing there, then maybe travel to Blue Pegasus and ask Master Bob." Levy involuntarily shuddered. Master sighed. "Or I can ask."

After everyone's questions were answered, they all left the room. Levy split from the group and went to explain to Gajeel what was going on, while Team Natsu left the guild. They already had a couple reports to investigate.

Laxus had been following after Lucy for hours. It was nearing mid-afternoon, and it had been ages since they'd passed by a town or village. He was surprised that she even had enough magic to sustain the trance for this long. He was fairly certain that if she didn't find the key soon, she would faint from exhaustion. He was also worried because she hadn't stopped for rest, food or water. While he was used to punishing treks like this, he knew the blonde tended to take things more easily. He also didn't have any supplies, so when they did finally stop, they would be at a loss. Still he figured at this rate, even if she did faint, they were just a couple hours out of Hargeon, so he could always carry her for the rest of the way. The only downside to that would be if the key was between where she fainted and Hargeon, then they'd have to back track.

All his worries though were for naught, because suddenly her pace quickened. He realized that the key must be close. He could smell the briny scent of sea water nearby, and growing ever stronger. Before long the coast was in sight. The blonde continued her fast trek right to the water's edge, and then started walking into the waves.

Laxus groaned as he watched the waves lapped against her waist, soon enough she was going to be submerged in the water, that wasn't going to be good. He had figured that the water would draw her out of the trance, but it had no effect. Now her clothes would be soaked, and he was worried that she might drown. Laxus quickly took his jacket, and electronics off, and threw them onto the beach. He also pulled off his shirt and pants, leaving him in just his boxers. Then he walked towards the water and entered it.

The chilly waves beat against his stomach as he followed her in. She was now swimming forward, the water above her head. He quickened his strokes in order to catch up to her. He was hoping that nothing attacked him now, because lightning and water, not a good combination. Suddenly Lucy stopped. He watched as she took a deep breath, and then dove under the water. He immediately did the same. They swam to the bottom, and he watched as Lucy sifted through the sand. He saw the sudden glimmer of a key, and Lucy's hand grabbing it, before Lucy's eyes switched to brown, at the same time her mouth opened up like she was taking a deep breath.

He watched as all of sudden her expression turned panicked. She looked like she was choking, and he watched her eyes role back, and she started twisting and turning, looking for the surface. Realizing that she must have really taken a breath, he swam forward, grabbed her around the waist, and dragged her back up to the surface. As soon as their heads broke away from the water, she started coughing and vomiting. He watched with a look of distaste, but kept his arms around her, holding her up. After a few minutes he felt her body relax, and the movement of her legs as she began to swim on her own.

"You okay?" Laxus asked.

Lucy nodded her head. "Yes. Thank you." Her voice was hoarse and raspy. Hearing it she grimaced and started to clear her throat, which felt coated in grime.

"You're welcome. Come on, let's get to shore. I'll start a fire so we can dry up." Laxus said, he then motioned for her to take the lead. He was still worried about her, so he wanted to follow to make sure she didn't get in any more trouble.

As soon as they were out of the water, Lucy started shivering. Her lips were turning blue, and she was covered in goose bumps. Her clothes clung to her skin, exposing her figure to his eyes. He quickly flicked his gaze up to her face, just in time to see her blush darkly. He was confused for a moment, until he felt the breeze against his body. Then looking down, he remembered he was only in his boxers, which were also clinging to his skin. He looked up again, and watched as Lucy turned away slightly, still blushing darkly. Shaking his head, he bent down, grabbed his clothes and quickly pulled them on.

"Here." Laxus said.

Lucy turned and saw him holding out his jacket to her. She looked at him questioningly.

"I'm going to start a fire, go change into this so we can dry your clothes, you're going to catch a cold if you stay in them."

"Oh, okay. Thanks." She then slowly reached out, and clutched the jacket in her hands. Laxus turned away so that she could change, and headed into a wooded area to collect some fire wood. By the time he returned her clothes were in a heap, and she wrapped up tight in coat, still shivering. He quickly set up the logs, and then zapped it with his lightning. As soon as it was lit, Lucy shifted closer to the fire. Trying to warm herself up. After a while he saw her lips return to their normal shade, and he watched as the tenseness eased from her limbs.

"So, what key was it?" He asked curiously.

She looked up at him and smiled wryly. "Cetus, the sea monster. Explains why it was in the ocean."

Laxus looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, are you going to summon it?" He asked impatiently.

"Not right now. I'm almost completely drained of magic. I'll have to do it tomorrow. Do you know if there are any towns nearby? I'm starving, and I really need to rest." Lucy asked. After hearing her words, Laxus examined her more closely. He was then able to see the weary expression on her face, as well as a distinct paleness, showcasing the fact that she really was nearing the edges of her limit.

"Yes, I think there's one a few miles up ahead. Are your clothes dry enough?" He answered.

She nodded her head, and then picked up her clothes. Once again he turned away as she changed. When he turned back he saw that she had put his jacket on over her clothes.

"Do you mind? I'm still freezing." She asked, gesturing at the jacket wrapped around her.

He shrugged. "It's fine, let's go." Then without waiting for a reply, he took off.

She trudged along silently behind him, lost in her thoughts. She was once again reveling in that amazing scent of his. She had buried her face in his coat, and was taking deep breaths. She actually felt like quite the creep. At least she really was cold, so she had an excuse to be so bundled up inside of the jacket. As she thought about his scent her thoughts wandered back to when he had been almost naked. Her face lit up in a blush as she recalled the way the water dripped down of his taut muscles. She was used to well-built men, seeing as Gray was constantly naked, and Natsu wore an open vest. However, nothing could compare her for the sheer amount of muscle on Laxus. Every inch of him screamed raw power, and manliness. She felt her body quiver slightly as her thoughts continued on, getting slightly dirtier with each passing second.

Her thoughts were drawn to a conclusion when they reached a hotel. Laxus led the way in, and bought and paid for a room for them. He then gave her the key and told her to go wash up while he went and got them dinner. Lucy obeyed, and excitedly ran up to their room. Despite the warm jacket and her dry clothes, she still felt a chill in her bones, and she knew a warm bath was the only way to solve that issue. Once she reached their room, she wasted no time in filling up the tub and hopping in. She soaked there for fifteen minutes, and only when she heard the door to the room open, signaling Laxus arrival, did she get out. Once she had dried off, she decided to summon Virgo. She knew it would use up what magic she had left, but she really didn't want to put on her salty and stiff clothes.

Virgo supplied Lucy with a set of black silky pajama pants, with a matching button up top, as well as clothes for the next day. She also gave Lucy a set of pajamas for Laxus, somehow knowing that he accompanied her. The set was the same as Lucy's except more man styled. Lucy held in a giggle as she imagined Laxus wearing them, at least they were black, she thought.

Walking out into the main room, she went to sit across from Laxus at the small table. He had their food laid out upon it, and he was already helping himself. Lucy tossed him the pajamas, and then sat down. She watched as he raised his eyebrow at them, but then shrugged.

"Where did you get these?" He asked, as she began to serve herself.

"Virgo, one of my spirits. She brings me clothes when mine are ruined. She also somehow always knows when my partner needs them. And she always makes us match. Natsu and I had pretty gold and blue matching outfits once. You're lucky she went with your favorite color instead of mine." She added with a smile.

"Oh, and what's your favorite color?"

She held up her hand in answer, and flashed him her pink guild mark.

He cringed when he saw it, and nodded his head, muttering, "Very lucky."

After that they ate their meal in relative silence. Once Laxus had finished, he recalled the rather uneventful details of her bring in a trance, and then the duo went to bed. Thankfully they had gotten a double bed room, so they wouldn't have to share. Lucy still felt a tad uncomfortable though, since she didn't know Laxus very well. She knew she had spent the night last night, but that was different because she had been passed out. She was now very much aware of his proximity, and with the thoughts of his almost naked body still in mind, she was having a difficult time going to sleep. Only when she was able to tell that he had fallen asleep, and by matching her breathing to his, was sleep finally able to claim her.

**Hope you liked it. Let us know what you thought, and thanks for reading.**

**-Deaths Embrace.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Fairy Tail is by Hiro Mashima.**

**This chapter is by Summer L. Sora.**

**Enjoy! :D**

Thunder crackled outside, waking Lucy from her sleep. Stretching her knotted muscles, she padded over to the window and looked outside. The sky was a dark and heavy, and the clouds were swollen, ready to dump all its contents onto the ground below. Lightning flashed, getting more frequent as time passed. Well, at least someone was going to be happy, Lucy thought wryly, glancing over at Laxus, he was grumbling in his sleep.

Her body ached from the event before, and she felt stiff and tired as she walked over to the bathroom. Lucy looked at herself in the mirror, she was still pale, and dark circles were formed under her eyes. The blond sighed before turning on the tap, splashing her face with cold water. The clothes Virgo gave her last night hung on one of the racks beside the shower. A green short sleeve shirt and knee length jeans, with a white jacket, Virgo really knew how to pick clothes.

Deciding to tie her hair up so it was out of the way, Lucy exited the bathroom, only to find Laxus's bed empty, the blankets were thrown aside. The window was open, letting the rain inside. She was curious, she'd been in the bathroom for all of five minutes and he was out of bed and gone. Wonder where he went.

Her keys were on her night stand, the ten golden keys, and five silver keys, and in addition to the two new keys she found the day before. Lucy picked up Cetus's key, and looked it over. Its design was unique, the key was made from white strands twisted together, the top was an upside down water droplet with a shape of a whale outlined in blue. Fins appeared at the bottom of the key.

Another clap of thunder sounded, and Lucy glanced up. She didn't particularly like the loud sound of thunder, though Laxus was another matter. As far as Lucy knew, she was alone in the room, an eerie feeling rose. She ran over to the window, trying to close it so it would block the sound of thunder. That was when the blond noticed a tall figure standing in the rain, built like a man, looking up at the sky. A bolt of lightning struck the person. Lucy fought off a panicked scream; the male was crazy to be in weather like this.

"Oi! Are you crazy? You're going to get hurt!" Lucy yelled down at the man. The male turned around and stared incredulously at Lucy. Blond hair and a lightning scar. Lucy sighed in relief.

"Laxus, it's just you. I thought you were a mad man trying to get electrified."

The dragon slayer raised an eyebrow. "You're over reacting, Blondie."

"What do you think? What sane person would go out in a thunder storm?" Lucy yelled back over the wind. "Get in here before you get yourself hurt." Laxus detected a hint of worry in her tone.

"Alright, calm yourself." Turning into lightning, Laxus appeared next to Lucy in a flash of thunder. Lucy jumped out of her skin.

"Were you trying to give me a heart attack? Are you hurt? After the lightning struck you, I thought you were…" Lucy trailed off, circling him, inspecting for injuries. She was beyond frantic that Laxus was injured or worse, she didn't want to think like that.

The male softened at Lucy's worried face. "Chill, I'm alright. As a lightning mage, it doesn't hurt me." He ruffled her hair gently. He was surprised that the blonde cared so much about his wellbeing, wasn't she just annoyed at him the night before?

"Laxus Dreyer, you better not do that again. If you do, I'll… I'll… Lucy threatened, an unusual feeling rose in her chest, it made her want to hit him. She didn't want to admit how worried she was.

"Yeah, yeah, let's go get breakfast." Laxus tugged her by the sleeves, leading her to the main room, and plopping her down on the couch. He turned to get breakfast, motioning Lucy to sit there, but Lucy got up and followed him into the kitchen, sticking very close to him. Two bowls of soup and bread sat on the kitchen counter, courtesy of Laxus from before he went out into the storm.

Lucy re-heated the soup and set the table in silence; she sat down across from Laxus and looked down in her soup bowl while she ate. A frown was permanently etched on her face. Laxus meanwhile, was staring at the female blonde. He was regretting going out in the thunder storm, he didn't know it was going to get Lucy so worried. Hopefully, he could make it up to her, but first things first; this silence was getting on his nerves.

"So, when are you going to make a contract with the new key?" Laxus questioned. Lucy raised her face from the bowl and looked at him.

"We need to get to a body of water first, preferable the lake I found the key in. This key is just like Aquarius's key; to summon it we need water." Lucy stood up and took her bowl to the sink, and set it there. "I'll go pack up now. We need to leave soon."

Laxus noticed that Lucy was acting weird. The normally warm and friendly eyes were cold. He sighed; better fix this before she gets angrier. Maybe Lucy was right, he did make impulsive decisions. Putting that aside, he went to gather his things, preparing for another long trek back to the guild, with a detour stop at the lake.

At the front desk, he paid for their night and gave back the room key, and then followed Lucy back to the freezing lake. The sky had started to pour rain as they hiked to the shore, Laxus dug for umbrellas and found only a black one. He looked over at Lucy, who had started shivering, her clothes were soaked through. He handed her the umbrella.

"Here. Take it; you're going to catch a cold."

Lucy looked surprised as she hesitantly took the umbrella from his grasp; Lucy was shocked to find that Laxus did care for her. "Don't you need it?"

Laxus merely shook his head, and continued walking down the trail, leaving Lucy bounding after him. The blonde female tugged on his jacket, and raised the umbrella high so that the sides covered him as well. They were sharing an umbrella. The dragon slayer's eyes widened. He looked over at the younger blonde, who was blushing and looking away, and smiled slightly. He reached down and took the umbrella from her, so he was instead holding the umbrella over their heads.

They continued the hike for around ten more minutes, during which Lucy was holding Laxus's arm and invading his personal space. The two mages saw the approaching lake shore, and Lucy took out the new diamond key, the gate of the Sea Monster, Cetus.

She walked into the freezing water until it completely swallowed her feet, Lucy stuck the new key into the water and twisted it, chanting, "Open, Gate of the Sea Monster, Cetus!"

A gold magic circle shown around Lucy, and the water in front of the mage erupted, a huge sea animal the size of half a whale appeared in the waves. Lucy stumbled back onto the shore, bumping into Laxus's broad chest. She felt drained of magic, just like when she summoned Monoceros, yet this time it was less tiring. Laxus wrapped his arms around her in a protective way and they both watched the spirit. It was a whale like creature, but its face and body was somewhat like a dragon, with two webbed front legs as flippers, its back was a tail like a normal whale, though it was longer and slimmer.

The whale like spirit regarded Lucy from the water, in a sitting position with its tail wrapped around its body, hovering a little above the water. She walked closer, stepping inside the lake. Reaching her hand up to the spirit and touched its head, she felt the smooth and slippery skin.

"Master." It said politely. Cetus dipped its head. "I am Cetus, the second of the diamond keys."

"Nice to meet you, Cetus. You can just call me Lucy, and that blonde guy there is Laxus. You'll be seeing him around a lot."

Cetus shifted his position so that he was submerged half way in the water. "I am a water spirit, so I am able to control water. You can also summon me on land, but it will take a lot of your energy, and my attacks will have less power. This is not advised unless it's an emergency."

Lucy smiled, now she had two water element spirits, and Cetus seems much more co-operative than Aquarius. Maybe now she can use water attacks without being thrown into them.

"The darkness is approaching, and it will strike at the most unexpected time. You will need to find the diamond key that sees the future, only that key will warn you of dangers approaching. It is the one that knows the specific details." Cetus rumbled, his tail swished back and forth in the water. "You need to find that one key with haste."

Lucy nodded, she had no idea which key it was, but she trusted the key to guide her to it. The blond mage stumbled a bit in the water, her magic was running low from this summoning, and standing in the rain didn't help it.

"Your magic is draining; I will take my leave now. It's been a long time since I was reunited with the other diamond keys. Once again, we thank you." With a last polite nod at Lucy and Laxus, Cetus too disappeared into the spirit realm.

The celestial mage trudged warily back onto the shore, and collapsed down on the wet sand, key still in hand. She was exhausted, summoning wasn't a very easy job, and these spirits take up three times more energy than a normal zodiac.

Laxus walked over and looked down at her, and held out a hand. "Are you okay? We should get back before you catch a cold, the guild must be worried." What he didn't say was that he was worried as well. The dark circles under her eyes darkened, and her skin was too pale for his liking. Lucy took his hand and got up, leaning on him slightly.

"I'm okay, just a bit tired."

"Just a bit?"

"Okay, I'm very tired. Let's just get back to the guild; the rain is going to get worse soon."

Laxus was silent; he got their bags and started walking towards the trail, deciding that the guild could wait another day. The reasonable solution was to go back to the hotel they stayed in, the guild was too far to walk with Lucy's condition.

**Sorry it took such a long time to be updated. Both of us were having an extremely busy weekend. But hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Leave a review!**

**~Summer L. Sora**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

**Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail**

**This chapter written by Deathsembrace. **

As soon as they arrived back at the hotel, Laxus ordered Lucy to bed. As much as she wanted to protest him ordering her around, she just didn't have the energy. Between the cold rain, and the summoning, and the walk back, she had nothing left. So, nodding her head at him wearily, she stumbled her way to the bed, and collapsed. Less than a minute after she hit the bed, she was fast asleep.

Laxus watched her as she slept. He was worried about the toll this new magic was taking on her. Supposedly these keys needed her to fight the darkness, yet she could barely hold a gate open for more than ten minutes. He didn't know much about Celestial magic, but he hoped it got easier. Otherwise, they might be screwed.

His thoughts also wandered to what Cetus had said. Something about finding the spirit that sees the future, and how they needed to find it. As far as he knew though, Lucy had no control of this. Maybe the key would realize she needed it and draw her to it next. He hoped it wasn't far, he didn't know how much more the girl could take, though, she was definitely proving stronger than he originally thought. Both Monoceros and Cetus had surprised him greatly with the amount of strength they emanated. Both could easily give him a run for him money.

Laxus had no doubt, that with these diamond spirits by her side, Lucy could easily become one the top few wizards at Fairy Tail. He could definitely see her surpassing her fellow team members, though even he didn't know the full extent of his grandfathers and Gildarts powers. As far as he was concerned, with the addition of Monoceros alone, she had the capacity to be at the same power as him. She just needed to work on her endurance. At least in that one way, these trances were helping her. Using her magic like that all day would definitely increase her capacity for magic, as well as her endurance.

His musings were interrupted by the sudden flash of light beside him. His quick mind easily recognized the flash to announce the arrival of one of her spirits. Turning his head, he saw his former guild member. His mind started wracking for the boys name, he knew it began with an L. Furrowing his eyebrows, he finally remembered it as Loke.

"Loke, what are you doing here? She's sleeping, and out of magic so you shouldn't be here." Laxus warned.

"As if I would draw upon her power in her weakened state. I'm strong enough to pass through my gate on my own power." Loke snarled slightly. He then fixed his glasses upon his nose. "Anyway, I'm hear to talk with you. I've had an interesting conversation with some new spirits of Lucy. Apparently you've been with her both times they were summoned, and also the other night when she called Virgo. Cetus also said that Lucy said you would be around alot. Are you her new team mate? What happened to team Natsu?" Loke's face betrayed his worry for his master, and the slight note of anger and jealousy that had at first tainted his voice, faded away, as his worry for Lucy became more evident.

"Oh, I didn't know you could do that. I don't know much about her magic. Guess I'm learning. She's still on her team. Gramps asked me to escort her around for now. Since there might be people after her, he doesn't want her with her team, because he thinks too many people would attract too much attention. I also found her the first time she went into a trance, and I followed her, so since I was already familiar with the situation, and because I'm the strongest member I got stuck with the babysitting task." Laxus drawled, he kept his voice sounding bored, making it seem like being here with Lucy was the last place he wanted to be, when in reality, he wouldn't have it any other way. When he started feeling like that though, he had no idea. It had started out with just curiosity and mild worry, but now he couldn't keep his mind off the girl. Maybe it was when she had shown herself so worried about him during the storm. He wasn't used to having people care for his well being, and the fact that the blonde care, made foreign feelings rise up in his chest.

Loke glared at Laxus harshly. His face contorting into a dangerous teeth baring growl. "My master does not need a pompous ass such as yourself to babysit her. I can protect her."

"If that was the case, where were you when she was walking through the town half naked. Enjoying the sight?" Laxus said. He didn't know why he was goading the spirit on, maybe he just didn't like the Lion's possessive nature over his master.

Loke looked pained for a moment, and slightly guilty. "I was ...busy." He finally stuttered.

Laxus raised an eyebrow, "Oh, what was so important that you didn't notice your master needing you?"

Loke blushed slightly, but quickly tried to hide it, he cleared his throat and started to speak, but Laxus cut him off. "Oh, I get it now. You were with some chick." Laxus said with a dark expression.

Loke stared down at the ground guiltily.

"Well, I guess I really am in the best position to protect her. I at least take it seriously." Laxus stated smugly.

Loke glared at him again. "Well, I'll be watching from now on, so If you make one wrong move, then I, as the leader of the ecliptic zodiac keys, will bring down the wrath of all the spirits in Lucy's service." With a final threatening glare, he slowly faded away.

Laxus watched him go, and tried to ignore the small spike of fear that bit through him. Maybe Lucy herself couldn't beat him, but he had no doubts that all her spirits, working together, and here on there own power, could beat him, and probably in less than a minute. He would have no chance. Well, he didn't have to worry anyway, because he meant what he had said. He was taking this task more seriously. He didn't quite know why, but the thought of harm coming to the beautiful blonde lying on the bed before him, made his gut clench in fear. He would do anything to ensure that it didn't happen.

A few hours later, Lucy woke up. She blearily sat up, and wiped her eyes, before scanning the room. Laxus was sitting at the table in the kitchen. She pulled herself up, and went to join him, wrinkling her nose in distaste as she noticed the state of her clothes. They were wrinkly, and muddy. She had a feeling her face and hair weren't much better off.

Laxus looked up at her as she sat down, and without a word, handed her a sandwich.

"Thanks Laxus." She said, smiling slightly. As she looked at the sandwich, she heard her stomach growl noisily. A slight blush stained her cheeks, and she grinned bashfully at Laxus. Then she hurriedly ate her sandwich.

Once she had finished, Laxus stood up. "Ready to get back Blondie? I got a car for us, so we'll get that faster. We'll stop at my house first, then yours to pack. Then we should go to the guild, I want to have Freed make something for you."

Lucy looked at him warily, "And what do you need Freed to make for me?" She asked hesitantly.

Laxus sighed a but, "I want him to write runes on a bracelet or something for you to wear. When your in your trance your magic increases, and anyone looking for it will sense it. He won't be able to do much about your appearance, but he could at least block people from sensing the power."

Lucy shocked for a minute. "Oh. Thanks Laxus, that's a really good idea." She looked at him curiously, a small smile on her face. She was honestly surprised by the suggestion. It would seem like the lightning mage care for her more than she originally thought. He had obviously though a lot about the matter of keeping her safe. Then again, maybe he was just trying to impress his grandfather. She frowned slightly at that.

"Once you done making faces at yourself we can leave." Laxus stated sarcastically.

Lucy immediately scowled and stood up, storming her way past him, and out the door. Definitely only doing this to impress Gramps, she thought.

The ride back to Magnolia was uneventful. Both blondes stayed silent, just as both were caught up in thoughts of the others. Neither of them noticed the small glances that the other kept stealing. Lucy managed to steal more, since Laxus was driving. She had most of her magic back, but was saving it for her next trance. Plus, she had barely driven before, and Laxus seemed to be a good driver. A little fast, but nowhere near as scary as Erza.

After stops at both their house, they arrived at the guild.

Before they entered, Laxus stopped her. "So what do you want Freed to write his runes on?" He asked.

She looked thoughtful for a moment, then held out her wrist. The one with her team arm band on it. "On my arm band I guess. I never take it off. Or my belt if he needs more room."

Laxus nodded his head, then held the door open for her. She quickly scanned the guild, and spotted the Raijinshuu. To say they were surprised when she walked over to join them would be a understatement. They all stared at her in surprise, shock, and in once case, blatant disregard. Frankly, Lucy didn't know why they were surprised, I mean, she was with Laxus, so it's not like she didn't have a reason for sitting with them. Wait. Where was Laxus? She herself looked shocked a moment, when she realized he wasn't beside her. She quickly turned to look for him, and sighed in relief hen she saw him walking over from the bar. Apparently he needed some beer first.

Laxus sat himself down beside her, and set a mug of beer in front of her, before gulping some of his own down. Lucy stared at it suspiciously, wondering if he was trying to get her drunk for pervy reasons. She also wasn't a huge fan of drinking. Still, she didn't want to be rude, so she would drink it. She daintily picked it up, sipping it slowly, surprisingly enjoying the taste. She failed to notice Laxus amused face at the way she held the mug, like it might bite her. She also failed to notice the shocked faces of his team, at the fact that Laxus had bought her a drink. Slowly all three of them turned to look at him, causing him to shrug slightly and look away.

"Stop looking at me like that?" Laxus finally snapped, irritated.

Freed blanched, and looked up apologetically. "Sorry Laxus, we were just surprised. The master explained to us what was going on. Team Natsu are off investigating strange reports, seeing if their related to this 'coming darkness'. We're the back up team. If too many reports come in, we'll go out, as well as the Strauss family. How did it go yesterday and today?"

Laxus shrugged again. "She found Cetus, a water spirit. The first was a unicorn, that uses lightning magic." Laxus tried to seem uninterested, but his voice and eyes betrayed him.

His team raised their eyebrows a bit again. Evergreen huffed slightly, and then excused herself. They watched as she went over to join Elfman.

"No trouble yet though?" Freed asked.

"Nothing. I actually wanted you to do something for me though. When Lucy is in her trance, she emits a crazy amount of magic power, anyone searching would find her easily. Can you write runes on her arm band or belt so no one can sense it?" Laxus asked.

Freed looked ecstatic at being able to help Laxus. "Of course." He then turned to Lucy. "Miss Lucy, if you'll hold out your arm, no, you don't have to take it off, it will be better if you keep it on." He said as she started to slide the band off her wrist.

After a few minutes of concentration, focused magic, and writing figures, he sat back. "Finished. That should take care of things."

"Thanks." Lucy and Laxus spoke at the same time, their voices blending together. Both turned to stare at the other, and then turned away, blushing.

Bixlow grinned seeing this. "They liiiike each other." He tongue rolled. All his babies mimicked them. Lucy and Laxus both shook their heads fervently.

Thankfully they were saved from further explanation and conversation, by the Master himself.

He had walked over and jumped up on the table, beer mug in hand. "Hello Laxus, and Lucy. How did the latest trip go?" He asked happily. He had been watching the interaction between the two, and to say he was pleased would be an understatment.

"Very good Master. I found Cetus." Lucy said smiling.

"Great. And is Laxus treating you good?" He asked, as he lengthened an arm and wrapped around his grandson. Laxus immediately tried to shrug it off, but his gramps had him in a iron grip.

Lucy giggled a bit. "Yes, he's been great." She answered honestly.

Just as she was about to add something else though, she stopped. Her face went slack, and her gold magic circles replaced her brown eyes. She slowly stood up, and turned towards the door. Her feet started dragging forward in a slow sleep walk pace.

Laxus sighed, and bent to grab their bags, easily shouldering them both. He walked forward to follow her, turning to look over his shoulder just as he was about to leave the guild. "See ya later guys. Thanks again Freed."

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**Deathsembrace. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Fairy Tail by Hiro Mashima**

**This is written by Summer**

**Hope you enjoy!**

Lucy was walking down the paved sidewalk in a hurried manner, bumping into pedestrians as she blindly shoved her way forward. She didn't bother to apologize to all the poor people being pushed, as she was oblivious to what she was doing, because of the trance. So the job was left to Laxus as he hurried after her, mumbling a 'sorry' to everyone she shoved aside. What a troublesome girl, Laxus thought, and extremely rude during trance. One thing to be happy about, no one noticed that she was sleep walking, thanks to Freed's runes, glowing purple on her wrist band.

The sidewalk became more crowded in the direction Lucy was walking towards, and the plaza in town appeared before the two mages. Laxus walked beside Lucy, steering her around as more people swarm around them in all directions, busy going to their own destinations.

Lucy kept walking, passing the shops and food stalls. Before long, they had passed by the busy mall, and continued on, passing through the rest of shopping district. Laxus blinked, it seemed like they were heading straight towards the train station. The dragon slayer groaned, they were not going on a train with Lucy in a condition like this, what was with these keys? They were getting annoying. He grabbed onto the female as she was walking towards the station, and tried to get her to snap out of it. Lucy started struggling, attempting to yank her arms away, then unexpectedly, she let out a high pitched scream.

People were looking at the pair suspiciously, so Laxus had no choice but to let Lucy go. The celestial mage continued her trance like walk towards the station. Laxus sighed as he followed. Lucy walked into the crowded station; this was where team Natsu first met up for the cursed flute Lullaby. She continued walking forward, until she stopped in front of the north bound train.

She collapsed once she reached the trains loading area. Laxus rushed forward, and caught her just before she hit the hard floor. Bystanders looked over, their faces looking worried and curious. Some tried to come over and help, but a look from the blonde slayer discouraged all actions. Laxus carefully shifted her so she was in a sitting position, and gently shook her, trying to wake her up. Apparently collapsing in public unceremoniously attracted a lot of attention; it wasn't going to be long before someone called the rune knights.

Lucy grumbled a bit, and lifted her arms to rub her eyes, when she finally pried them open, she was staring into blue grey eyes. "Laxus, what happened?" Lucy looked around, puzzled that they were at Magnolia's train station. "Why are we here? Don't tell me, I was in a trance again."

"That's right Blondie. Though I sense no magic around this place at all. The key wouldn't be here." Laxus held out a hand, and pulled Lucy up to her feet.

Lucy closed her eyes, reaching her magic out to search the place. True to Laxus's words, the key wasn't here, it was over… there. "The key is that way." Lucy pointed her fingers towards the vast green fields that stretched around the train tracks.

"I get it now." Laxus nodded, "You stopped at the north bound train before you collapsed, so the key is outside of Magnolia."

"Then we need to get a ride there." She stated with a determined glint was in her eyes.

"Do you even know where the key is?" Laxus asked exasperated. This blonde was going to drive him crazy.

"I know its north. I'm sure the key will guide us. Besides, if you're not coming with me, I'll go by myself." Lucy huffed. She wouldn't admit that she didn't really want to go by herself. Especially since the last two times she had fainted, and Laxus had taken care of her. If it wasn't for him, she didn't know what she would be doing right now, or where she'd be.

Laxus stared at her for the longest time, debating with himself whether he should follow the mad girl or not. He didn't want to just leave her to go, but if they really did go, where would they end up? But even as he debated, he knew that he was going with the blonde, he just couldn't let her go alone for some reason. He had felt this mission given to him by Gramps slowly becoming more personal for him, and now here he was, once again getting ready to follow this girl to who the hell knows where.

"Fine, but we are going tomorrow. You will be staying at my house." He relented.

Lucy narrowed her eyes at this. "Who said? Since it's your job to follow me, you will camp on my couch." Lucy argued.

"You will stay at my house, since my place is safer, and my house is bigger than your apartment. And that is final." Laxus turned around and started walking back towards his house.

"What about my clothes?" Lucy called to him as she ran to catch up.

Laxus glanced over his shoulder as he walked away, and held up her travel pack, that she'd packed earlier in answer.

Right, she thought, I forgot we had both prepared this time. Lucy sighed, knowing he did have a good reason for staying at his house. So, without a further word, she ran and caught up with him and the two walked side by side, not talking.

As she walked further from the station, something started tugging and itching at her mind; a faint voice was nudging her back to the station. Her walking movements were becoming more awkward and she felt like she was doing something wrong. Her head hurt as she walked farther away from the station, and every movement felt like she was slogging through thick mud.

Lucy stopped suddenly, her head had started to pound against her skull, and she was feeling sick. Laxus looked back when he noticed that Lucy had stopped moving. He noticed she was crouching down, hands around her head, looking like she was trying not to vomit. The dragon slayer was worried; but then he recalled what Monoceros had said when he was first summoned.

The keys will begin to call on her, and she will not be able to do anything until she finds them.

Great, just great, Laxus thought.

He walked back over to Lucy and put a hand on her head. Lucy looked up at him; her eyes were unfocused, flickering between the yellow trance like eyes, and her normal chocolate colored ones. Laxus sighed, and picked her up, then started walking back to the station. Looks like they were going to have to spend the night on the train.

As they got closer to the station, Lucy's condition improved drastically. The celestial mage began to calm down, and her vision focused, but the flickering of gold and brown was still in her eyes. They didn't look like they were going to stop anytime soon.

Laxus set Lucy down on the bench beside the ticket booth, so he could watch her when he went to buy their tickets. Lucy laid her head on the arms of the bench, trying to get her mind to stop spinning, but the faint whisper was still there, it became more urgent as time passed. She was grateful when Laxus picked her up again to board the train.

The pair sat beside each other, one asleep and the other in deep thought. Laxus was worried for his companion, she has been through a lot in the past few days with just two keys, how was she going to handle more that came her way? He looked over at the sleeping girl; her face had a slightly sick pallor to it, the skin being pale again, after just recovering the night before. His hand hesitantly reached over and brushed aside her bangs. Lucy shifted her position as Laxus's hand froze on her head; the girl snuggled closer and rested her head on the dragon slayer's shoulders.

The blonde male stared wide eyed at Lucy. He had never had such close interaction with females, preferring to stay out of such things in favor of working towards getting stronger. Being stuck in a situation like this, he had no idea what to do. Deciding to just ignore it, he leaned his head against the window and closed his eyes, attempting a light sleep while waiting for the girl's next move.

Lucy's eyes shot open early next morning, she sat up suddenly, waking the slumbering Laxus. He looked blearily over at Lucy, whose eyes were flickering gold and brown again. "The key is close. It's out there." Lucy muttered, as she rose a finger slowly, her voice emotionless.

Laxus looked toward where she was pointed, and groaned. They were passing a meadow, open land as far as you can see. Mountains towered over the land in the back ground. "You don't mean that we need to jump out a window, do you now?" He asked incredulously.

Lucy nodded, as she pried open the window of the train. The wind rushed in, blowing Lucy's tangled hair. Lucy wasn't aware of anything; her only goal was the mountains at distance. Laxus looked at Lucy, his expression aghast. She was ready to jump out a running train, was this girl crazy? Or was it her keys? Either way, there was no way he was going to let her die.

Taking a chance, he wrapped his arm around Lucy, and summoned his lightning magic. The dragon slayer held Lucy as he turned into lightning and flashed outside onto the dirt ground. They both crashed, and rolled before stopping. Laxus managed to keep his arms around Lucy, cushioning her with his body.

Once their tumble came to a halt, he sat up, rubbing his head as he surveyed Lucy for any injuries. They had landed beside the train track; the grass grew tall around it, almost to Lucy's waist. It took most of the impact from the fall, so both got away with only a few minor bruises.

Lucy got up again, her eyes turned gold as magic circles took over her senses. She started hiking towards the mountains right behind the field, Laxus groaning after her as he followed.

They walked in the sun, brushing past tall blades of grass, for hours it seemed, until they reached the foot of the first mountain. Lucy put her palms flat on one of the rocks and closed her eyes. Laxus felt her magic level rise as she was encased in a golden glow.

"Oi Blondie." Laxus waved his hand in front of her face. Her eyes snapped open; she circled the base of it, and kneeled in front of a particular shaped rock. It was much more jagged than usual.

Her hands touched the rock, and like every other time, her legs gave out, and she fainted. Laxus was used to it; he walked over to the blonde and leaned her against the base of the mountain. Then he picked up the rock and sat it beside them.

"Lucy, get up. This is not a good place to fall asleep." Laxus snapped his fingers.

The girl shifted around, grumbling 'five more minutes'. Laxus couldn't help the grin as it appeared on this face. "You need to get up now, we found the key."

Lucy woke up immediately, her eyes wide as she took in her surroundings, then at the state of her clothes, which were ripped, streaks of mud decorated the clothes. "What happened? I vaguely remember something about a train." Her face was a picture of puzzlement.

Laxus looked at her with an expression of annoyance, "You tried to jump off a moving train. I think the keys are trying to murder you." He added with a slight tone of amusement.

The celestial mage winced, and then looked over at the rock beside her, sensing that it was a key. "Do you think you can crack this open?" Lucy asked.

Laxus looked at the rock, for a moment, before releasing a small zap of lightning. The piece of rock immediately broke apart, and in the heart of the rock, was the key.

The white, transparent key glinted in the sunlight. Lucy gasped.

"Draco, the fire dragon."

"Well, one dragon slayer is going to be happy about this." Laxus mused.

**Thanks so much for all the reviews! Love all your support for this story. Keep it up!**

**-Summer.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

**Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail**

**Chapter by Deathsembrace**

Lucy smiled tiredly towards Laxus. Natsu indeed, was going to love her latest spirit. She glanced down at the key in her hand and marveled once again, at the workmanship of these keys. This one had the shape of flames on it, and two dragon slit eyes peering from within the flame. It was beautiful. She clenched her fist tightly around, wishing she had the energy to summon it now. She was also really excited to see a dragon herself. She had long since lost her fear of dragons, thanks to the stories told by Natsu, Wendy, and even a story or two from Gajeel. And now, she had her very own dragon.

"So, do you have any idea where we are?" Lucy asked Laxus.

He shook his head. "Somewhere between Magnolia and the country of Seven. Not sure if we passed over the border yet." Laxus told her.

"Wonderful. Did the train pass any towns recently?" She asked.

"Don't know. I fell asleep." He said as he looked away, his eyes squinting in the sunlight.

"How nice, aren't you a great protector? So what should we do?" She muttered grouchily. It wasn't that she particularly mad at him, so much as tired, and irritable. Being low on magic wasn't a fun experience, and she had been experiencing way too often the past few days.

"We can camp here for the night, and head back towards the tracks in the morning. I didn't pack a tent though." Laxus said, ignoring her irritability.

Lucy sighed tiredly, "It's okay, Virgo can get us one. Sorry for snapping, I'm just tired."

"Don't worry about it. Do you have the energy to summon Virgo?" He asked with a look of concern.

"Yup." Lucy answered, as she pulled out Virgo's golden key. She smiled at it as it lay in her hand, and then called out to Virgo softly. She never needed to use the incantation for Virgo. They were pretty close to each other. Virgo probably already had the tent ready and waiting.

Will a flash of light, Virgo appeared, tent in hand. Lucy grinned when she saw it. "Hello Princess. Punishment time?" Virgo asked.

"No punishment for you Virgo. Thanks for bringing the tent. Can you set it up for us?" Lucy asked.

"Of course Princess." Virgo bowed, and then a second later, in a flash of dust, the tent was up and waiting. "I also put bed rolls and blankets inside, do I need punishment?"

Lucy laughed a bit. "Thank you Virgo. Stop asking for punishment, you can go back now." She smiled fondly. Once the zodiac returned to the spirit world, Lucy turned to Laxus, who had been watching the exchange with an eyebrow raised. "What?" Lucy asked, somewhat rudely.

"Nothing. Your spirits are interesting. Why does she want to be punished?"

"No idea." Lucy answered with a shrug.

"Hmm, she sounds like a masochist. She's hot though." Laxus said with a grin.

"Stop staring at my spirits, you pervert!" Lucy yelled, somehow finding the energy to leap up and hit him.

Laxus laughed, and dodged, "You gotta be faster than that if you want to hit me!" He called out to her.

Lucy glared at him, and started to run forward again, when a sudden chill ran up her spine. She immediately stilled, all her senses on alert. "Laxus?" She whispered questioningly.

Laxus stilled as well, sensing something off. He couldn't hear or smell anything though, but something still had the hair on his neck standing up. Trusting his instinct, and Lucy's, he walked closer to her, sheltering her a bit with his bigger body. Once she was safely in reach, he started to cast his eyes about. Flicking them over the shadows cast by the mountain, and towards some outcropped rocks. He wasn't seeing anything, but he felt in his bones that there was something there, and by the way Lucy was tensed, she felt it too.

Suddenly, he heard the sharp intake of Lucy's breath, "Laxus, the shadows." She said, stepping closer to him. She was scared, she had basically no magic left to help, so she was basically defenseless. She would have to trust Laxus to keep her safe. Taking a quick glance at him, she saw him studying the shadows carefully, his eyes narrowing as he spotted what caught her attention. Seeing the fierce look on his face, Lucy's fear melted away. She could trust him, she knew.

Laxus started searching the shadows, looking for what the blonde saw. His eyes finally spotted it. A darker spot in the shadows that didn't makes sense. It was knotted and moved slightly. Narrowing his eyes, he clenched his fist, and sent a bolt of lightning at it. Laxus heard a loud grunt, and the shadows took the shape of a man.

The man stepped out, letting the shadow fade from his figure. He took slow measured steps towards Laxus and Lucy. The shadows clung to his legs, dragging at them, and surrounding him. His face and skin were pale, like he hadn't seen the sun in weeks. There was also a grayish tint to it, like he was on the verge of death. His lips were colorless, and chapped. His eyes though, were the most unnerving thing about him. They were entirely black. There was no expression, brightness or any sign of life on the person, other than the fact that he was moving towards them.

"Lucy Heartfillia. Celestial Spirit Mage. Bearer of the Diamond Keys." The man's dry, toneless voice echoed forth. "I've come to bring you to my master."

The man stopped his walking, and the shadows around him swelled. Laxus grabbed Lucy, and shoved her behind him, as the shadows burst forth from the man's body, shooting straight at where she had just been standing. Lucy screamed, and clung to the back of Laxus shirt. Laxus growled dangerously, and shot his lightning bullets at the man's shadows, dispersing them into nothing. Then he turned to the man.

"Who is your master, and why does he want Lucy?" Laxus growled. Lucy peeked around the back of Laxus, still clinging to him.

"Lucy Heartfillia. Celestial Spirit Mage. Bearer of the Diamond Keys." The mean repeated. "I've come to bring you to my master." Again the man shot the shadows out, and again, Laxus dispersed them easily.

"Yea, you already said that." Laxus said. Deciding that he wasn't going to get anything else from the man, Laxus summoned a greater mass of power, and sent a single powerful bolt of lightning straight at the man. Once the flash of light died down, Lucy and Laxus saw the man crumpled on the ground, his clothes smoking. As they watched, the man's body disintegrated, turning into a flash of shadow, and then disappearing.

"That might've over done it." Lucy whispered nervously.

Laxus frowned at her. "Better safe than sorry. Besides he was annoying."

"Yea, but, I think you killed him. Who do you think his Master is?" Lucy asked, still in a whisper.

"I didn't kill him, the bolt wasn't strong enough, he probably went back to wherever he came from. And I don't know who his master is. The better question is how he knew you had the keys." Laxus answered.

Lucy shivered slightly, and then looked at the mountains towering over them, and at the fields beyond. They were in the middle of nowhere, with people after them. At least she had Laxus. "Thank you." She whispered again.

"For what?" Laxus said with another frown.

"For protecting me, and keeping me safe." Lucy answered.

Laxus shrugged. "It's my job. Besides, you didn't have enough magic to fight. Come on, let's go rest. He was probably the only one, and it'll be awhile before he can come back with reinforcements. Let's sleep and then head out of here as soon as possible." Laxus said.

Lucy nodded, and then they both went into the tent. Lucy curled up and immediately went to sleep, feeling completely safe with Laxus there beside her. Laxus however, only pretended to sleep. Instead he kept his ears alert to any sound outside. He knew the mage could come back, but Lucy needed rest, so he hadn't wanted to concern her. Besides, he could handle anything that came at them, and he would keep Lucy safe. Of that, he was sure.

Lucy woke a few hours later, feeling rested enough to continue on. Before they left though, she wanted to summon Draco. She was hoping he would be able to tell her something of the people who were after her.

Pulling out the diamond key, she held it in front of her. "Open, Gate of the Dragon, Draco!" Lucy called. She waited a moment, her body ready for the sudden loss of energy, but it never came. Instead, she felt a tiny amount leave her, and then there was a puff of red smoke in front of her.

In the midst of the puff of smoke, a dragon appeared. It had sharp white teeth, poking out from its jaw. Shiny reddish orange scales covered it's body, glittering in the late afternoon sun. Ivory horns spiraled out from the top if its head, and spikes lined its spine, and the underside of its jaw. Corded muscles bunched over its body. A long spiked tail curved around the body. The dragon also had four legs, each with a deadly set of claws. The dragon was indeed a terrifying sight. Except for the fact that it barely reached Lucy's knee.

Lucy stared at the tiny little dragon, and couldn't help but think, 'how cute!'

Laxus stared at the dragon, and tried to hide his complete and utter disappointment. "So, this is the great fire dragon. I expected you to be bigger." Laxus spoke first.

Lucy immediately jabbed him in the side with her elbow. "What he means is... well, yeah. I thought you'd be bigger." She said, hanging her head a bit. "Did I do something wrong, summoning you? I didn't feel a lot of magic leave my body…" She murmured the last part to herself.

The dragon though, heard her, and chuckled, the sound low and gravelly. "No no, Lucy, or Princess Lucy… You did everything right. It's my secondary ability. I can be summoned small for when you're not doing battle. I promise, I can be quite large and battle ready, when you need me to. Or small enough to sit on your shoulders as a pet." The dragon added. Faint trails of smoke left his nostrils and he chuckled a bit more.

"Oh, that's great then." Lucy said happily. "It's nice to not be drained of magic for once after summoning you diamond keys."

"Wait. Secondary ability? The others didn't mention that." Laxus questioned.

"Yes, they did. Or, Cetus did. His was being summoned on land, even though he's a water spirit. Though, Monoceros never mentioned his?" Lucy asked, turning towards Draco curiously.

"Monoceros is fast. Faster than the rest of us by far. You could even say he is a lightning fast…" The dragon spluttered, and then fell into a fit of laughter at his own poor attempt at a joke.

Lucy laughed a long with him, though Laxus just raised an eyebrow. Finally, the dragon stopped it's laughing, and turned once again towards Lucy.

"So, Princess Lucy, as you know, I am Draco, and I am a fire dragon. I use fire magic, and can control and or eat any flame, as well as create my own. Now, a question. I sensed that you were in danger, just after you found my key, what happened?" The dragon's face suddenly took on the expression of deadly anger, and despite its small size, Lucy quaked with fear, and thanked the heavens that she wasn't on this spirit's bad side.

"A man attacked us, a shadow mage. He knew my name, my magic, and that I was a bearer of the Diamond keys. He said his master wanted me. Do you know anything of it?" Lucy asked hopefully.

"I'm sorry, but nothing much. I just know that the master will keep sending more. You have to find Cygnus if you want to know more of what's going on." Draco answered, his voice angry and full of barely contained anger at the mage who attacked them.

"Cygnus, the swan? Is that the future seeing spirit? How do I go about finding him?" Lucy asked. "So far, you guys have found me. Speaking of which, you do realize you forced me to jump off a moving train." She said, suddenly peeved.

The dragon chuckled. "Sorry, how was I to know you were on a train. Humans and there off contraptions. Too bad you can't fly, it would make traveling much easier. Cygnus knows you need him, and I sense he's the next closest key to here, so he should draw you in next. Probably pretty soon Your magic is almost enough to support your next trance."

"Oh, okay good. Then I guess that's all I need. Though, if you don't mind. Before you go, can you show us your true size?" Lucy asked.

The dragon chuckled darkly. "Are you sure?" It asked.

Both blondes nodded their heads eagerly. The dragon grinned, showing its sharp teeth. "Very well." Then smoke billowed out surrounding him. They saw a flash of light and even more smoke appeared, completely surrounding them.

When the smoke cleared, all they saw was red. Brilliant red, and orange scaled. They were standing just under its legs, and facing the lower part of its chest, as it crouched towards them. The claw on one hand was easily as long as Lucy's body, and the entire size of the dragon was nearly as big as their guild. Lucy and Laxus both stared amazed.

"Wow, I'm officially impressed." Laxus muttered, as he turned to stare at Lucy in slight awe.

Lucy grinned at him. "Thanks Draco. Though i didn't feel a drain?"

"I did it on my own power, since you need to get to Cygnus. I'll be leaving now. See you when next you call." Draco growled, his voice causing their bones to vibrate. Then he left, in, of course, a flash of smoke.

"Well, he was really something." Lucy stated.

"Yeah… So what now, food?" Laxus asked, as he started to turn to her. But then he sighed, because Lucy was no longer there. Instead she was walking away, heading, in what he guessed was the direction of east. He saw Freed's runes flashing, and knew Lucy had gone into the trance. "Okay, guess that's a no on food." Laxus muttered, sighing as his stomach grumbled. Laxus quickly grabbed their bags, and the tent, which he had already thankfully packed, and then ran after the slowly disappearing blonde mage.

**Thanks everyone for the reviews and follows. Your guys are awesome. Keep it up, we love hearing from you.**

**Deathsembrace.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Fairy Tail is by Hiro Mashima**

**This chapter is by Summer**

**Enjoy!**

They walked for hours it seemed, in the vast meadow that stretched out across the land. The mountains in the far off distance covered in mist, and the foggy weather was blowing towards them. The wind picked up, whipping Lucy's hair as she continued on in her state of trance, walking to an unknown place. Laxus followed behind her, a few paces back, keeping an alert eye on their surroundings. After the incident with the shadow mage, he wasn't going to risk it anymore, especially with Lucy in trance.

The trip dragged on, and Laxus was grumbling. Due to a lack of food and rest, he was not in a good mood. The spirits should show at least some courtesy, did they not know the limits of human beings? Even mages, with their extra stamina and strength, could not sustain the magic for these kinds of trips. This was absurd, to say the least.

As if on the clue, Lucy suddenly dropped hard onto the dirt ground. The dragon slayer was caught surprised, he didn't sense any magic of the diamond keys out here, why Lucy stopped was a puzzle. He rushed over to the crumpled figure, and kneeled down beside her, cradling her to his chest, trying to shake her awake. The blond stirred.

Lucy groaned, lifting her hands to pry her eyes open, for it seemed that they were not willing to open on their own. The sky above was gray; rain was going to come soon, Lucy thought. She shifted around, supporting herself as she got up into a sitting position. That was when she realized she was in Laxus's lap, her checks colored instantly. Lucy jumped away in a hurry, and found herself clutching her head as a rush of dizziness passed.

"Whoa, careful there Blondie." Laxus reached up to steady the girl, supporting her by the waist, and rose into a standing position beside her.

"What happened?" Lucy questioned bewildered, "I don't sense any key around, so why did I stop?"

"I don't know. Maybe your magic was getting too low?" Laxus shrugged.

"No, that's not right; I still have maybe half of it left, enough to last for another trance." Lucy puzzled.

"Well, I'm just glad we stopped, I'm starving. Let's just eat, the trance can wait." Laxus swung a green bag off his shoulder, somehow miraculously containing hot food and snacks for their journey, along with utensils and bottles of water. Even more surprising, a magic made pack of lightning gum was included, with a note attached. _"Courtesy of Princess Lucy's spirits. We're quite aware of our Master's limitations, it's yours we were wrong about." _

Laxus scowled, realizing they must have heard his grumbling, and also annoyed about the fact that the spirits basically just insulted him. Still, a least he had hot food. And lightning gum, a rare treat.

Grateful for the break, Lucy plopped down on the grass, and Laxus handed her a piece of bread, and a bowl of hot soup. She wondered how Virgo managed to bring them hot ramen and steaming dishes in a sack. Shaking her head, Lucy smiled, her spirits were the best.

This time, resting was much more enjoyable, even if it was on hard ground. She was not lacking magic, nor had she gone to the point of drop dead tired, like every other time. She and Laxus managed to strike up interesting conversations about her team and his adventures, with the celestial mage talking most of the time, and Laxus dropping a comment or two. Before long, the two noticed the clouds getting darker; the mist was creeping in from the mountains. They decided it was time to pack up.

This time, it seemed, Lucy was not going in a trance, no matter how hard she tried to sense the next key. The blondes had no idea where to go, not without the guidance of the spirits.

"Try harder." Laxus urged. Lucy was sitting on the grass, legs crossed. She reached out for the familiar sense of the diamond keys, their glow was bright, as you would say, like a diamond. Instead she only found a weak glow that was miles from where they sat, and the key gave no direction, only a warm presence that enveloped her.

This is one strange key.

"This is not working. We should just follow the way I was going before, towards east. I think there is a town nearby; I sensed some magic radiating off that way." Lucy dusted her shorts and got up, taking hold of her own belongings, and swinging it onto her shoulders.

"Well, you know your keys, so I'll follow you." Laxus said. There was a deeper meaning in the sentence, Lucy noticed, but she did not pry. The blonde female smiled a bit, and inhaled deeply as she walked. She hadn't gotten to appreciate the scenery lately, due to all the trances.

Lucy enjoyed the hike immensely, stopping occasionally to look at strange flowers that seemed to grow in this area. Laxus trailed his eyes constantly on the blonde, to check if she was in any danger, that was the only reason, he chided to himself. The entire trip was more carefree and relaxed, for some reason, the spirit they were finding was not in a hurry to be found, and it let them take their time.

"Look! I see houses!" Lucy said excitedly, pointing ahead. Sure enough, blurry outlines of a town were revealed to them.

Laxus smiled slightly; glad to be in civilization again. Lucy bounded in front of him, eager as him to get a nice bath and a proper bed. They sped up, covering the distance quickly.

Lucy was the one to notice first, an eerie feeling was radiating off the town, almost a purple like glow. The magic coming off of it was wrong, not magic from a normal mage's town. Laxus's eyes darted around, looking for any signs of danger.

The two mages arrived at the entrance; a tall bridge overhead bore a broken sign that once printed the name of the town. This was surprisingly familiar to Lucy, a memory popped up.

"Be careful of what you touch. Last time I went with team Natsu and Master to the mountains, we got lost and found another abandoned town somewhat like this. There was dark magic cast on it and we got into a lot of trouble, so be careful." Lucy warned, swatting Laxus's hands away when he tried to touch the bridge.

"Well, I don't see too much danger with this place as of the moment, apart from the aura emitting from the town." Laxus frowned, studying the houses carefully.

He watched as Lucy scanned the ground, finding any sort of strange lines, weary for any sign of magic. "You know? We should probably get out of this town. It's starting to creep me out." Lucy said.

"Yeah, it's not like this town has service."

Lucy snorted despite herself. The joke lightened up the mood a bit, and the mages started walking quickly back towards the entrance, eager to get out. At Laxus's peripheral vision, he saw shadows dance. The dragon slayer immediately stopped, holding out a hand to block Lucy from going any further. Lightning danced around his body, as he tensed, battle ready.

The shadows moved again, this time, it took the shape of a man, the same as before. Beside him, another figure emerged as well. They walked towards the two blondes slowly, legs dragging behind them as they advanced. Their eyes were lifeless, like they were possessed.

"Lucy Heartfillia. Celestial mage. Bearer of the Diamond keys. I have come to bring you to my master." The same monotone voice sounded off of both newcomers.

"Their saying that again. Why do they keep following us?" Lucy asked. Her eyes focused on the mages.

"I have no idea." Laxus replied. Using a louder voice, he addressed the two. "Who is your master?"

"Lucy Heartfillia. Bearer of the Diamond keys. My master needs you." One of the mages replied. She looked slightly feminine, but it was hard to distinguish, because shadows were wrapping around her.

"Who is your master?" Laxus repeated again. His arm was raised, lightning crackled at his fingertips.

The female chose not to answer; instead, she released her first attack. A thin stream of water vortex shot at Lucy. Laxus stepped in front and pushed the water aside, it splattered on the ground.

The shadow mage sent out strings of shadows from the ground, wrapping around Lucy's legs, trying to tug her down. A bolt of lightning broke them, and it slinked back to its owner. The dragon slayer was ready to release his final attack, when Lucy put her hands on his arms, and stepped in front.

She took out Draco's key, and poised it in front. "Open, gate of the dragon, Draco!"

A puff of red tinted smoked appeared, and the red dragon was standing in front of her. This time, the dragon was as tall as Laxus; claws extended, puffs of fire poured out of his wide opened mouth. "Lucy." The dragon greeted. "So this was the magic I sensed when you found me."

The two dark mages took no notice of the newly arrived spirit, but their eyes flickered for a second, before they unleashed their attacks. Laxus noticed that the only attacks they knew were shooting water and shadows, yet he sensed that they were stronger than that. That was weird.

Draco regarded the mages, analyzing their attacks, before releasing one of this own. A big ball of flames hit them directly, burning up the area around them in the progress. After the fire died down, the mages were gone. Most likely back to their Master.

"How much times has this happened?" Draco asked its owner.

"This is the second that I know of." Lucy said, looking at Laxus for confirmation.

"Yes, and both times, that shadow mage was present." The blonde male added.

Draco's black eyes narrowed, and nodded once at Lucy. "I see, now I need to go back, there are some things I need to take care of. Cygnus should be calling you by now, he prefers not to call you when there is danger, but since that is cleared, you should be able to find him." After saying that, he disappeared back into the spirit realm.

Both mages had a feeling, that this spirit was hiding something.

**Sorry it took some time. Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Leave a review, Thanks.**

**~Summer**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

**Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail**

**Chapter by Deathsembrace**

A white haired mage was making his way home from his mission. He was alone because he preferred working solo, less people to complain about his stripping habit. Still, working solo had its disadvantages. Such as having no one to back you up, and therefore being incredibly tired after a mission. He was definitely feeling the strain of overusing his magic as he traveled back to his guild. Maybe it was because he was so tired that he didn't notice the person come up behind him. His mind only briefly registered the presence of another person before he was blasted with magic, and knocked unconscious to the ground. The attacker walked towards the downed mage. His steps short and measured. His eyes black, and his skin tinted grey. He bent down and lifted the ice mage onto his shoulder, and then retreated, bringing Lyon back to his master.

* * *

Gray, Natsu and Erza had just finished investigating a strange report. It was just like the previous one they had looked into. It seemed like mages were disappearing. There was no trace left behind, they were simply gone. They did however manage to find out that a person had been seen in both areas, and that the person had black eyes, and grey tinted skin. The only thing was that one account said that the person was male, and another a long haired female. Team Natsu, now short one celestial mage, figured that the mages were related and working together to kidnap other mages. However, due to lack of information, they were unable to find out the reasons behind the kidnaping.

Now they were on their way back to Magnolia to report to Master, but they decided to camp out for the night and continue in the morning. The group didn't set a watch because they figured with Natsu's dragons senses it would be unneeded. Plus, they seriously doubted that someone could get the jump on all three of them. So, the three mages were now fast asleep on their bed rolls.

It was just after midnight when the shadows began to bulge, forming a person. The person slowly walked towards Gray, pausing only briefly when Natsu rolled over in his sleep. Just as they reached the sleeping ice mage, Gray opened his eyes.

Gray saw dark hands reaching down towards him, shadows just beginning to pulse from their palms. He immediately twisted over, while shouting out. Within seconds Natsu and Erza were up and the shadow mage was surrounded.

"Who are you, and what is your business with us?" Erza demanded, her sword pointed at the man's throat. They were unable to see him that well because of the dark of night, and the fact that the shadows seemed to envelop him and keep him hidden.

A toneless voice answered her, "I seek the ice mage. My master has need of him."

Erza and Natsu both stole a quick glance at Gray, who had narrows his eyes, and was now staring darkly at the man.

"Why does you master want me?" Gray asked.

"My master has need of ice." The man replied, his voice still emotionless.

The three Fairy Tail mages looked at each other, trying to figure out what to do. Finally Natsu stepped forward, and lit his hand so that they could get a better look. As soon as his flame lit the man's face, they all gasped. Dark black eyes stared emptily back at them, and they were surrounded by grey tinted skin.

"This must be one of the kidnappers." Erza stated. Then she looked at the man and took a step forward. "You're going to be coming with us." She said to the man.

The man didn't move from where he stood, his empty eyes fixated on Gray, and not saying anything. After a few moments, he again opens his mouth. "My master no longer has need of you, Gray Fullbuster. Another has suited his needs." Then, the man disappeared into shadow.

Natsu quickly threw his flames out towards where the man had been, but he was already gone. The three mages then looked at each other, and finally Erza spoke, "I think we need to head back right now."

The other two agreed, and started to gather their stuff. After a while, Natsu spoke, "Gray, do you think he meant Lyon?"

"I hope not. Besides, Lyon is too strong to get caught off guard." Gray replied, though inwardly, he had a very bad feeling.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the abandoned city, Lucy reentered her trance just a few moments after Draco left. Laxus quickly stood to follow her. They left behind the eerie and deserted town and started heading off into a forest. Laxus was excited to be on the move again. He felt bad for Lucy because her magic was constantly wearing on her, but he was anxious to find the new key. According to Draco, this one would know what the hell was going on, and he was more than ready to find out. He also knew his gramps would be waiting on a report.

As Laxus walked, he kept his eyes on both Lucy, and the surrounding forest. Knowing that people were after the blonde kept him on his toes and alert. Though, that was nothing new for him. He always kept on the alert. He was never fully relaxed. It was while he was doing another quick scan of the forest that he heard a distinct 'eeeeep!' and the sound of cracking wood. He quickly threw his attention back towards Lucy, just as she fell through some rotted wood and into a hole. Her eyes were still glowing, but her mouth was open, a nervous squeak escaping.

He immediately rushed forward and attempted to catch her, but he was too late. He quickly looked down into the hole, and realized that it was actually an old well. "Lucy!" He called worried. He couldn't see anything, and didn't want to light it up with his lightning just in case there was still water down there. After a moment of silence, he called again, this time more urgently, "Lucy!"

He heard some splashing around, and then a soft confused, "Laxus?"

"Dammit Lucy, are you okay?" He asked, worried and scared.

"I think I twisted my ankle." She called up to him. "But, I found the key." She added happily.

"That's good. But how are you getting out there. I can't use my magic because there's water. And I don't think I'll be able to fit in there if I have to carry you. How far down are you, I can't see anything." He called.

"I'm not too far. I can see you, hold out your arm. I'm gonna latch onto it with my whip. It shouldn't hurt. It's made of water though, so don't use your lightning." She called up. "And you'll have to pull me up; I don't think I can climb with my ankle like this." She added after another moments thought.

"Alright." Laxus said. Then he stuck his arm out, and tensed his body, ready to take on her weight. After a moment a long whip snapped up and latched around his arm. It stung just a bit, but he didn't say anything, because he knew she was trying to be careful, and also that she didn't have much space to work in. He quickly wrapped the whip around his arm a couple times for better stability, then he started tugging her up.

He couldn't help but snort when he saw the condition of the celestial mage. She was covered head to toe in dirty muddy water. He was so used to her appearance always being neat and perfect, but the last few days she had been constantly thrown into situations that utterly ruined her clothing and appearance. Still, despite all the mud, and dirt, he couldn't help but find her absolutely beautiful. He knew she must be in pain after seeing her ankle, yet her eyes sparkled, full of life and happiness, as she clutched her latest key. Without thinking, Laxus pulled her into his arms and gave her a quick hug, then he promptly shoved her away.

"Don't go scaring me like that." He ordered her somewhat harshly.

Her blushing face immediately pouted. "It's not like I meant to go fall down a well." She retorted quickly.

Laxus shook his head a bit. "Yeah, I know. So, do you have enough energy to call it?" He asked.

Lucy tested her magic level. "I don't think so. Give me an hour. There wouldn't happen to have been a stream nearby for me to clean up in?" She asked her eyes hopeful.

"Yeah, this way." Laxus said, pulling her onto her feet.

She obediently followed behind him, trying to keep up with her slight limp, while humming softly to herself. She was giddy with excitement because of the new key, and the fact that Laxus had hugged her, and had been worried about her. All thoughts of the reason she was gathering the keys, or the fact that she had been attacked, and even the pain of her ankle had left her mind. Her thoughts instead swarmed around the man walking in front of her. She found herself admiring his broad shoulders and narrow hips. Even if he did have odd style. Seriously, what was with the animal print?

She was so lost in thought about him, that she ungracefully bumped straight into the back she'd been admiring when he came to a stop. She quickly jumped back, muttering sorry, and wincing as she again twisted her ankle.

He tossed an amused look over his shoulder at her, and then gestured in front of him. "Here's the stream. I'll wait by those trees. I don't want to go far because of the people after you." He told her.

She looked at him suspiciously, but then relented. "Fine, but no peeking." She ordered, causing him to grin and nod. After he had gone and sat against a tree, his back facing her, she stripped her nasty clothes off her. She then pulled some clean clothes out of her bag so they'd be ready for her to get right into when she was done. Her keys she slipped around her wrist, just in case she needed them.

She washed up quickly, her teeth chattering in the cold stream. As soon as the last trace of mud left her body, she booked it out of the stream, and hurriedly threw her clothes on. It wasn't that cold out, but she hated having her bare body exposed. Especially with a perverted man waiting for her. Once she was dressed, she went and sat down beside him beside him, leaning back on the tree.

"All done." She said cheerfully.

Laxus looked at her, and noticed her lips slightly blue. He sighed, "Do you have anything warmer? Your lips are blue." He asked.

She lowered her eyes to the ground, and looked slightly embarrassed. "No, I forgot a jacket." She said.

He shook his head but then shrugged his jacket off his shoulders. She watched wide eyed as he tossed it over her own shoulders. The jacket was still warm from Laxus body heat, and she quickly snuggled into it, breathing in deeply his scent, and enjoying her newfound warmth. Laxus watched her with a small smile.

Just as she was about to thank him, she heard a light beeping from his jacket pocket. Laxus reached forward and pulled out a small round globe. She recognized it as a communications lacrima, and moved closer to see who it was. The Master's face popped up a moment later.

"Hey Gramps, what's up?" Laxus asked.

Makarov looked at Laxus, and then directed his gaze to Lucy, only when he saw her, did he relax the tension in his shoulders. "Good, you guys are safe. How are you progressing in your search?"

"We have Draco the Fire Dragon now, and I just found Cygnus and am waiting for the energy to call him." Lucy answered.

"Is something wrong Gramps?" Laxus asked, noticing the worried creases on his grandfather's face.

"Has anyone come after you?" Makarov asked, instead of answering.

"Yes, twice now. We beat them off both times. How'd you know?" Laxus asked.

The old master's face turned even sterner. "Empty black eyes and grey tinted skin?" He asked. Laxus and Lucy both nodded.

"The same people or group tried to kidnap Gray, but failed. They did however take Lyon, from Lamia Scale. I just spoke with the master from there. Do you have any idea what's going on yet? We've been investigating, but have been unable to find anything, except the fact that mages are going missing." Makarov explained.

"Not yet. But we will know soon. Cygnus is a future seeing spirit, and according to Draco, knows what's going on. We're heading back after this; Lucy sprained her ankle so Wendy will need to heal it. Otherwise she won't be able to keep up the trances." Laxus told his grandfather.

"Good, I'll keep team Natsu here and wait for you, along with a few others. We'll have a meeting, and figure out what to do. Keep her safe Laxus." Makarov then winked out, and the screen went back to its normal golden shade.

"Wow, Lyon was taken. He's so strong though." Lucy said, worry creasing her face.

"Don't worry Blondie. I won't anything happen to you. Now, call your spirit, let's find out what's going on."

Lucy nodded and reached for her new key. This one had the neck of a swan curved around a shallow lake, with the beak pressed into the water, ripples spread gently around the creature. It was a beautiful key, she though. Holding it in front of her, she called out Cygnus.

As her energy spiraled out of her, she watched as Swan appeared in front of her, along with a decorative basin of water. The swan looked up at her, and then lowered its head into a bow.

"Greetings, Miss Heartfillia." He said in a serene and peaceful voice.

"Hello Cygnus. A pleasure to meet you." Lucy said, smiling at him, and bathing in the peaceful aura that the spirit gave off.

"Oi, Cygnus, if you're a future seeing spirit, you could of warned us that Lucy would end up in a well." Laxus grumbled.

The swan turned towards him and regarded him for a long moment. "I knew she would be fine. Also, my secondary ability is portals, so I'll have her home and safe as soon as I finish explaining to her what is going on." The swan stated.

"Oh really? That would be great!" Lucy exclaimed. Then she turned serious. "So what exactly is going on? I sensed Draco knew something, but he didn't mention it."

"Draco left it to me, since only I know the full story, or at least more than any of us. Now, the man who is after you is named Kuro. He is from the southernmost island of Ca-Elum. He is over 150 years old, and is a very powerful mage." Cygnus said, his voice taking a soft tone.

Laxus immediately interrupted. "How is he that old, and still alive and powerful?"

Cygnus looked up, and stared at him calmly a moment. "I was getting there. Don't interrupt. He is able to live that long and be that strong because he has been draining mages' magic and killing them. He used that power to keep him alive, healthy and powerful. He looks the same general age as you too. His power, I am unsure what it is called, but he can taint people. By touching them, he can maintain control over them. That is what was wrong with the mages who attacked you. That's why their eyes were blank, and their skin in grey hues. It's a sign of his magic at work."

After checking to make sure they were still following, Cygnus continued, "Draco recognized the state they were in because his former master died because of them. His master's sister had been kidnaped, and so she and Draco went to save her. They were too late though, she had already been drained of magic. Draco's master, realizing what the man was doing, tried to get to the magic council to inform them, but was attacked along the way, receiving mortal wounds. Knowing she would be unable to make it to the council, she worked a spell, and sealed Draco's key, and thus all our keys, so that Kuro would be unable to find them. This spell locked us all in a dormant state. It is also what caused the dragon's to disappear. You see, Draco is their Father and King, when he was sealed; their magic began to lock away. The Dragon's quickly took pupils to teach them their magic, but ultimately, they were also forced into a state of hibernation."

"Wow, so now that Draco is back, will the dragons come back?" Lucy interrupted and asked.

"Not till all our keys are collected, then the spell will be completely broken. The spell was set to keep us dormant until we sensed the one who was powerful enough to maybe defeat Kuro. We think you are that person. You see, Kuro's magic can taint anybody he touches. Except the person holding the diamond keys. That's one of the reason he wants you. But not the whole reason."

Cygnus eyes and voice suddenly darkened. "When Kuro was around twenty, his wife died. He was very much in love with her, and the loss drove him crazy. He had her body frozen, and became obsessed with the thought of bringing her back to life. It has taken him 150 years, but he has finally created something that will bring her back, though I am not sure if it's a spell or a machine. In order to this though, he will need to sacrifice the lives of both Stellar Spirit mages, and healing mages. You will need to have Wendy and Poryusica protected, he will be after them. This is all I have been able to see so far. I know he will continue to come after you, as well as the other wizards he will need, so you have to stay careful. I'll make sure to end your trance if ever an attack is coming. Now, you magic is almost gone, so i'll open a portal to Fairy Tail. Your master is awaiting you."

Cygnus then dipped his head towards his basin of water, his beak causing ripples to spread. The rippled spread across the bowl, and then into the air surrounding it. Once the circumference of rippled air was wide enough for Laxus and Lucy, he lifted his head back.

"It'll feel slightly chilly, and you'll want to hold your breath. Laxus, you'll have to hold Lucy's hand since it's her magic." Cygnus told them. "I'll dismiss myself once you're through."

Nodding to him, Lucy and Laxus stepped forward, each still lost in their thoughts about what Cygnus had said. Without even thinking they both reached forward each other's hand and clasped them tightly together. Laxus giving Lucy's an almost imperceptible squeeze as she nervously walked towards the portal. Then with a final glance at the other, they both stepped forward, and through the portal.

**Hope you all like it. Thanks for all the reviews so far. You guys are great.**

**Deathsembrace.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Fairy Tail is by Hiro Mashima**

**This chapter is by Summer**

**Have fun reading!**

The portal was indeed chilly, it felt like diving into a lake, with water rushing at you, yet they did not get wet. Lucy opened her eyes and saw that the portal was a golden color, swirling around them. Beside her, Laxus screwed his eyes shut, afraid that by looking at the moving patterns he would upset his motion sickness. Their hands stayed tightly connected, as they fell towards the end of the portal.

Lucy heard muffled noises below them, and felt a sudden rushing feeling like they were falling. She let out a small high-pitched squeak as the portal closed, and the two landed in a heap on the ground. The celestial mage landed on something solid, though it didn't feel like the ground. She opened her eyes, and found she was face to face with Laxus. His arms were around her frame, and she had landed perfectly on top of him.

Lucy blushed unimaginable shades of red, and tried to get up. Struggling, she pushed the dragon slayer's hands off of her, and rolled over onto the ground, but her left foot was tangled in Laxus's legs. Their position was of lovers, with Lucy still sprawled half on Laxus, and their legs winded together.

"Get off me." Lucy blushed.

"It's you whose on me." Laxus replied coolly. He then picked Lucy up, and set her on the ground beside him, then he himself got up. Trying hard not to show his embarrassment, he looked away from Lucy.

As he looked away, he found himself scanning their surroundings. Realization and more embarassment hit him ful force. They had dropped right into the middle of the guild. Members stared at the two newly arrived mages, mouths hanging agape. They were all surprised to see the blondes dropping out of nowhere, but when they also saw them in such a position. Let's just say that they didn't see that every day.

"Welcome back, Lucy, Laxus." Mira greeted, she smiled as Laxus helped Lucy up. What a pair they made, Mira thought. A befuddled and petite girl still wrapped in Laxus's fur coat, and a tall, protective dragon slayer with a demanding presence.

"Luce!" Natsu yelled from his place beside the bar. "What did you get this time?"

Lucy walked over towards Natsu, smiling at him, and at Erza and Gray who were there as well. It's been a long time since she had seen her team. "I got two new keys! I think the dragon slayers are going to like a certain one." Lucy said.

Erza raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? What would that be?"

"I'll show you later, tell Wendy and Gajeel to come with you, Natsu. Meet me at the back of the guild in ten minutes. 'Kay?" Lucy flashed them a smile, and hurried back towards Laxus, who was standing patiently waiting with his arms crossed.

Team Natsu watched as Lucy touched Laxus's arm and leaned in to tell him something, and the almost unseen smile that crept up his face as he listened to her. The celestial mage then dragged the male up the stairs, towards the direction of Master's office. They all smiled in various degrees, one female understanding more than the two males.

The two blondes stood in front of Makarov's office, and Lucy rapped the door gently. A few seconds later, the door cracked open, revealing Makarov, his face lit up at seeing them safe. "It seems that your trip was a success. You must tell me about it." He opened the door wider, and let the two in. Then he gestured for Erza, Mira and Freed to come up as well, since they were the leaders of the teams investigating the reports coming in.

After they were all comfortably seated, Lucy began, "We found Draco, and Cygnus on this trip. They filled us in on the details about the dark mage, and why the diamond keys needed to gather again."

"Cygnus also warned us that apparently Lucy's life is in danger." Laxus added, making the Fairy Tail master look alarmed.

"But you don't have to worry, my diamond keys will help protect me. And there is also Laxus." Lucy shot the blonde dragon slayer a glare for adding unnecessary things.

"Well, I think I would like to know the whole story." Makarov said.

Lucy then began the description of their journey, with Laxus adding in occasional comments. "The spirits made her jump out of the train." Lucy hit Laxus on the arm and continued, but was interrupted again when he snorted, "They also made her fall into a well."

Makarov smiled as he watch Laxus tease Lucy about being covered in mud and forgetting a coat of all things. His grandson had opened up slightly to the girl in merely a few days. A drastic improvement than the last time he had tried to get him to interact with the guild members.

Lucy finished the story with a smile, smirking when she said that Laxus's face was scrunched up in the portal all funny like. The dragon slayer responded with a scowl.

"I see. Well, since their after healers, and celestial mages, I'll have to keep Wendy safe, as well as warning Poryusica. Hm, I should talk to Master Bob as well..." Makarov mumbled more to himself than anyone. Then he looked back up, "I would like to see your new spirits, Lucy. If that is possible." He asked.

"Sure, I was just about to show the dragon slayers Draco. You can join us." Lucy offered, getting up along with Laxus, and the others.

They all descended down the stairs, and found the three dragon slayers waiting by the front door. Natsu waved in excitement, while Gajeel and Wendy sat beside him on the stool. Gajeel looked slightly embarrassed being caught with the idiotic fire dragon slayer.

Lucy waved back, and led the dragon slayers out the back door, some curious guild members followed to see what was going on. Lucy stood on the grounds that they once used to practice dancing for the magic ball, hopefully, it was big enough to get Draco out in his full size.

Just when she was about to summon, she paused for a second, and smiled mischievously. She braced herself and chanted, "Open, Gate of the Dragon, Draco!" The dragon slayers' eyes brightened at the mention of the word dragon.

Red smoke wrapped around Lucy, as the guild members watched in anticipation. When the smoke cleared, a small dragon sat on Lucy's head, swishing its tail lazily in a circle. Natsu groaned in disappointment. Wendy though, approached the celestial mage, eyes wide.

"It's such a cute dragon." Wendy commented, gently patting Draco. Gajeel grunted, but he walked up as well, after all, it was still a dragon. It was better than nothing.

"Why is it so small, Luce? Dragons are supposed to be this big, and powerful." Natsu stretched his hands out, trying to show how big Igneel was.

Laxus watched in amusement, knowing the blonde did this on purpose, just for the fun of it.

"Nope, this is my dragon." Lucy lifted the small dragon and put him on the ground. He flew away from the crowd, and found a large piece of land, and promptly sat there. Natsu was still protesting, whining loudly about being excited for a big dragon.

Draco's eyes met his masters, and Lucy gave a small nod. Then the dragon grew, encaseing himself in smoke to hide his shift. The red cloud rose and towered over the mages, until it was the same height as the guild. A ball of fire shot out, straight towards Natsu. Members moved away from the fire ball, and watched as Natsu consumed it. The fire was soon sucked up and into Natsu's endless pit of a stomach. He patted his stomach once he finished.

"For a tiny dragon, that was some good—" Natsu froze in mid-sentence; he stared at the creature before him. Draco had resumed his true size, his ruby and orange scales glinted.

"I am not a tiny dragon, son of Igneel." Draco snorted.

"But… But you were…" Natsu shuttered.

Gajeel let out a sigh of exasperation. "Oi, Draco. The idiot here can't speak at the moment."

"It's nice meeting you." Wendy said shyly, bowing before the dragon.

Draco decided that he like the sky dragon slayer, and he told this to Lucy through the key. "Nice to meet you, daughter of Grandeeney, son of Metalicana."

"How do you know our dragons?" Gajeel asked.

"I was the leader of the dragons. Before I became a spirit, the dragons were able to live in peace, but after my transformation into a spirit, Acnologia went out of control. The dragons and I were able to keep him at bay. That's the reason you were taught dragon slaying magic as a back up, and help to us, in case Acnologia or anyone raged war, so that you may be able to stop it." Draco explained.

"But we weren't able to stop Acnologia on Tenrou Island." Laxus commented.

"That was because all seven of you were not present. In order to stop Acnologia, you need to attack together, or it will not work." Draco explained.

Lucy looked surprised, Draco did not share this information with her nor Laxus, maybe it was only for the first generations? In any case, she was beginning to feel the strain on her magic, Draco has been out for ten minutes in his full form, and she had only just sent Cygnus back in about an hour ago.

"Draco, I don't think I can keep you out any longer." Lucy said apologetically. She felt bad for interrupting the conversation between the dragon and dragon slayers.

Draco nodded, "Well, I'll meet you again." With a bid of farewell, he disappeared. Natsu pouted, "Aw, I wanted to speak to him longer."

Laxus growled, "You should be glad Lucy even showed you. Her magic power doesn't hold these keys for very long, and every time she gets tired after. So be grateful."

Lucy smiled, and put a hand on his arm, in a way of thanks.

"Thank you so much, Lucy-san. I am glad you showed us." Wendy said, smiling.

"Yep, don't listen to salamander, he is just an idiot." Gajeel grunted, Lucy assumed that was his way of thanks.

"It's okay, Draco wanted to see you guys. Anyway, I'm tired, maybe I'll show you my other spirits someday later." Lucy let out a huge yawn, leaning slightly on Laxus. "I'm going to bed. If I don't get into a trance, I'll come to the guild in the morning."

Lucy pulled Laxus along, heading back in the direction of her apartment.

"Oh no, we are going to my house. It is bigger and safer." Laxus tugged the tired Lucy in the other direction. To drained to protest, Lucy let the dragon slayer drag her towards his house.

It was after the pair of blondes was gone that the guild processed what they were saying.

"Wait, Lucy is staying at Laxus' house?" Natsu exclaimed.

While the guild was in an uproar, Laxus was carrying a sleepy blonde to his house. Lucy suddenly spoke up up, "Draco didn't mention that the dragons will come back."

Laxus shrugged, "He didn't want to raise false hope."

Lucy frowned, troubled with his answer. If she failed, they might never see their dragons again. Not till another strong celestial mage came forth, she thought. Too tired to think further, she absentmindedly snuggled into Laxus' chest, and let sleep overtake her.

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter. There is a lot of Lalu. Leave a review, thanks!**

**~Summer**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

**Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail.**

Once Laxus reached his house, he quietly brought Lucy to his bedroom. Supporting her sleeping body weight in one arm, he carefully pulled back the blankets. Then he gently lay her down. He was about to pull the covers up over her, when he paused, his eyes lingering on her dirty boots. After a moments hesitation he reached for the first one, and carefully slid it off, making sure not to wake her. Then he reached for the second boot. As he pulled it off, along with her sock, he noticed her ankle was slightly bruised and swollen. He drew his eyebrows in, annoyed with himself for forgetting that she had been injured. She must have been so excited about being back at the guild that she completely forgot, or ignored her injury.

"Stupid Blondie." He muttered softly. He stiffened a moment later when the girl he was staring at suddenly turned over, pulling her legs up towards her chest. He heard her sigh softly, and watched as her face nuzzled into his pillow, burying her nose and face into it. Then he heard the sound of her nose sniff as she took a long deep inhale, followed by a soft sigh.

"Laxus." The girl mumbled with another soft sigh, as her body once again relaxed and settled back into a deep sleep.

Laxus stood there completely shocked, his eyes wide as the girl cuddled into his bed, obviously feeling safe and warm surrounded by his scent. He felt his usual tough demeanor fail him as his insides melted slightly, his heart taking up a strange beat in his chest as he watched her sleep. These past few days they had been drawing closer, and he'd found that he didn't really mind taking care of her. Maybe it was just because he knew she needed him, but he felt a fierce sense of protectiveness rise up in his chest as he reached froward, and firmly tucked the covers around her, then retreated to the couch in the living room.

* * *

The next morning Laxus woke up early. With a quick peek into the bedroom, and seeing Lucy still sleeping, he walked into the kitchen to check and see if there was anything he could make for breakfast. One glance into his fridge left him grimacing. The milk had gone bad, and there wasn't much else. He'd have to buy them breakfast on the way to the guild.

After leaving the kitchen, Laxus walked into the bathroom planning to take a shower. He stopped though before he closed the door, suddenly worried that the blonde would go into a trance and he wouldn't hear her. After a few moments he decided to leave the door cracked, and just make the shower quick. Worst case scenario he'd just have to sniff her out. He din;t think she'd be able to make it far in the ten minutes it'd take him to shower.

Still, as the water pounded on his head, and he scrubbed his hair and body, his thoughts stayed constantly on her. He constantly stopped to pull the shower curtain aside, stick his head out and listen for sounds of movement. Finally he finished his shower, and quickly grabbed a towel, wrapped it around him, and again went to check on her. She was still sleeping soundly. Now he was scowling, and feeling like an idiot and slightly foolish for being so worried.

After getting dressed, he sat on the couch to wait for her to wake up. While he waited he reached for a copy of the Weekly Sorcerer that was sitting on his table, probably left there by Ever or Bixlow. He frowned as he read reports of missing wizards. There weren't too many, but enough to show that there was something wrong. As he flipped through the pages he stopped when he spotted a certain missing wizards name. Yukino. He knew that name. She was the celestial mage who used to be at Sabertooth. Seeing that name made everything Cygnus had said come rushing back.

Without realizing it, he had crumpled the magazine between his hands, his anger and worry causing it to disintegrate as he los control of his magic momentarily. There was no way he would let Kuro or his followers get his hands on Lucy, he thought, as he glared angrily at the coffee table.

His thoughts came to a halt as he heard the rustling of his bed sheets, and the soft sound of Lucy's feet hitting the wood flooring of his bed room. A moment later the still sleepy faced Lucy walked out into the living room, her face wincing slightly when she used her swollen ankle. She was no longer limping though.

"You forgot to ask Wendy to heal you." Laxus stated.

"Yea I know. I meant to. I just got excited. And we had to talk to Master. I was going to ask after Draco, but then I fell asleep. I'll ask her later though." Lucy answered, as she sat down beside him.

After a few silent minutes of debating, Laxus decided to tell Lucy what he had read. "So, I saw in the Weekly Sorcerer that Yukino is missing." He said quietly.

He watched as Lucy stiffened, and then turned to look at him, her face horrified. "No." She whispered. A few tears rolled down her face. Even though she didn;t really know her that well, she remembered the way the girl loved her spirits.

"She might be okay. He probably needs to do the sacrifices all at once. So we can still save her." Laxus told her, trying to comfort her. Her tears didn't stop though, and he realized he hated seeing her crying. Unsure of what to do, Laxus gently pulled her towards him, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. After a minute, Lucy turned into him, pressing her face to his chest as she cried. He held her for a few minutes until she was done crying, then she pulled away.

After wiping her tear streaked face, and runny nose on the sleeve of her shirt, she turned back to him. "Thanks Laxus." She murmured softly.

He smiled gently to her and nodded. "Come on, go take a shower and get dressed. We can go to the guild after, have Wendy look at your ankle, and then get breakfast. You'll feel better after." He said, his voice sounding concerned, even though he tried to keep it in his usual rough sarcastic tone.

Once she left to go shower, he sighed and leaned back, lost in thought. He realized that he was falling for the stupid cute little Blondie. Of course, out of all the hot babes in the guild, he'd have to fall for the one girl who was always in trouble, or so it seemed. I mean, seriously, just how many dark guilds wanted her or her magic. He would probably die of a heart attack early just because he'd have to constantly worry about her safety. Stupid Blondie.

Once Lucy had finished getting ready, the two headed for the guild. Laxus kept their pace slow and leisurely, despite his hunger, so as not to further irritate his companions foot. Once they reached the guild, he sat her down at a table, and then went to talk to Wendy. The blue haired girl was more than glad to help, Lucy being her new favorite person since calling out her dragon the night before.

Once Wendy had finished, Laxus sat beside Lucy and ordered their breakfast, making sure to get a large portion for both of them, since the blonde rarely got a chance to eat a proper meal between trances. Lucy stayed quiet, and allowed Laxus to do whatever he felt necessary to take care of her, truthfully, she was enjoying the sense of peace being back in the guild brought her. Despite the loud noisiness and the smell of spilt beer almost overpowering the aroma of Mira's cooking, she loved it here, and found the atmosphere relaxing to her stressed nerves.

After eating their breakfast, their table was swarmed by the appearance of Laxus team, the Raijishuu.

"Laxus! We've missed you so much. Your always leaving us." Freed said, sitting himself across from Laxus.

"Yes Laxus, why do you have to be the one to go with her and protect her. Can't someone from her team do it. You should be with us." Evergreen said.

Bixlow grinned at Lucy, and stuck out his tongue, waggling it slightly, as his babies mimicked Ever's words, causing Lucy to roll her eyes. At least one of the Raijinshuu seemed to liked her.

"Sorry Freed. It's my job. Besides, I like it, it's interesting working with her. Maybe after all this is over she can come work with us sometime." Laxus said, turning to glance at the now shocked blonde.

Lucy managed to nod her head and mumble out a somewhat stuttered affirmative answer to Laxus questioning gaze.

"Hm, well in that case, we look forward to working with you Lucy." Freed said.

"Yea, we get to see more of your cosplaying spirits." Bixlow grinned. His babies called out 'cosplaying' and then giggled.

Lucy scowled. "They don't all dress up. It's only Sagittarius. The others are all actually part animal in spirit. That's the only reason why they horns, or tails, or fur. It's to symbolize their zodiac powers." She muttered.

"Leave her alone Bix." Laxus warned.

"He was just teasing, you know he is." Evergreen said, as Lucy blushed happily because Laxus defended her.

"Yea, we're just teasing. We love the cosplayer queen." Bixlow muttered, as his babies cheered.

Lucy blushed again, and giggled a bit, while Laxus rolled his eyes, then she stood up, her chair making a scarping noise as it dragged across the floor. "I'm going to go say hi to my team. I'll be back soon Laxus." She said, then she said goodbye to the others, and walked over to where Gray, Erza, Juvia and Natsu were sitting.

"Hey guys." She said happily as she sat.

"Luce! How's it going working with Laxus. Erza said some of those weird creepy mages came after you." Natsu yelled.

"Calm down Natsu. It's going good. Laxus is pretty nice once you et to know him. And yes, we've been attacked twice. They attacks seem weak, even though their magic feels more powerful. I wonder if it's because their being controlled. Like maybe on a subconscious level their holding back." Lucy said. She saw that she had lost Natsu somewhere in the middle of her conversation but the others were still listening.

"That makes sense." Erza said. "The man, Kuro, must be pretty powerful if he's able to maintain control over different mages at the same time. Maybe the more mages he has, the more his power spreads thin. We will have to be careful when we come across those under his control, it's not their fault, so we have to make sure not to hurt them too badly." Erza said, her expression solemn.

Then Lucy turned to Gray. "I'm sorry about Lyon, he's probably safe though. Kuro needs him to keep his wife's body intact." Lucy told him. Gray's eyes brightened a bit and he nodded, as Juvia patted his knee.

Lucy was about to say more, when she felt a tug on her brain and in her heart. It was pulling her towards the doors. She could feel her magic drawing on it, and knew it was the trance, but that she wasn't going completely under. Still, the compulsion was still the same, she knew she had no choice but to follow the tug, at least she was able to stay alert to her surroundings for now.

"Sorry guys, gotta go. I'm being called again." Lucy said, as her body started dragging her to the door. "Laxus. Time to go." Lucy called.

Laxus quickly stood up and grabbed their stuff, saying bye to his team in the process, then he turned and followed her. Her eyes were flashing between gold and brown, but she still seemed lucid.

"Doing okay?" He asked as he joined her.

"Yes. I think so. Just have to follow it." She murmured, as she hurried forward. She felt like their was a sense of urgency to this call, like she had to reach it by a certain time.

The sense of urgency and her foot steps halted when she reached the stop for the train heading south. Laxus checked her over quickly, making sure she was in control, and wasn't going to bounding off, then he went to purchase their tickets.

The train pulled out almost as soon as they boarded it, and Lucy realized the key had wanted her on this train, and that's why the sense of urgency. Her eyes remained flickering as they rode the train, and she sensed the key drawing closer as the train chugged along the tracks, though she still sensed it was far away.

"I think we've got a ways to go." Lucy told Laxus, who was sitting beside her.

"Okay, you want to try and get some sleep then?" He asked, turning to direct his gaze down at her.

She looked up into his eyes for a moment, slightly taken aback by the warmth they displayed, then she nodded. "Yea, I guess that would be best. I still feel tired from all my magic use. I think I'm getting stronger though." She murmured quietly.

"Your doing great, Blondie." He said with a smile. "Now, get some rest."

"Okay." Lucy said. Then she again surprised Laxus, by taking his arm and moving it around her shoulders, then she curled up, and nestled herself against his chest. Laxus smiled down at her, and then tightened his arm around her, as he looked over her head and watched the scenery fly by.

**Hope you enjoyed. A little more LaLu progressions, and onwards to the next key.**

**Let us know your thoughts. :)**

**Deathsembrace.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Fairy Tail is by Hiro Mashima**

**This chapter is by Summer**

**Hope you enjoy, lovely readers!**

Lucy awoke to gentle shaking. Grumbling, she rubbed her eyes, blinking out the remaining traces of sleep. Laxus stood beside her, his hands on her shoulders, he was the one that woke her up. Looking around, she noticed it was already late in the afternoon, she had slept for a long time. The train was stopped at a populated town, and seeing the market just outside the station caused Lucy's stomach growled.

"Ah, sorry. Can we go buy something to eat?" Lucy asked, looking excitedly out the window at the food stands.

Laxus checked her eyes, they seemed to have returned back to normal. He agreed with the idea, since his own stomach was empty. "Sure, the train is stopping for an hour, as long as we make it back in time."

Lucy cheered, her peppy mood seemed to have returned after a nights rest and her nap on the train. Grabbing her travel bag, she walked out the train door, leaving Laxus to follow after. The air outside was crisp, and full of the smells of the delicious foods which the blonde girl inhaled deeply. Spotting a red colored stand, she walked over, seeing that many people were already there. Steam was blowing out, surrounding the stall and the cook. It seemed they sold fish balls and sea food on a stick, the town's specialty.

Looking over her shoulder at Laxus, she pointed at the food, while raising a questioning eyebrow, Laxus shrugged. Lucy took this as an approval, so she dug into her bag, and found a small bag full of jewels, that she had saved from her last mission. One where Natsu managed to not destroy anything, so she was actually able to set aside something extra.

"Hello lady, what would you like today?" The cook asked, he brandished his hands around him, showing different flavors of fish balls and sea food.

Lucy pursed her lips, studying the selection. "I'll take this, and make it spicy." She pointed to large fish balls, the inside had fillings, and it seemed to be covered in what Laxus deemed flavored sauce.

Lucy looked towards Laxus, he was scanning the menu hung above the cook. Nothing seemed to catch his interest. "Surprise me." He said to Lucy, then went off to find them a seat among the crowd.

Lucy looked at the menu the dragon slayer had abandoned, and flipped to the back. To her surprise, there was a selection for mages. Knowing exactly what Laxus would want, she pointed the order to the cook.

"That would be 800 jewels." The cook said, collecting her food, and bringing them up in two small and round containers. Lucy handed him the money, and went off in search for Laxus.

She found him sitting on a bench out of the noisy crowd. He nodded in greeting as she arrived with the food, and handed him the bigger container. "I thought you'd like this."

Laxus regarded the fish balls, they were the normal peach color, but he could sense magic inside. He stared at it suspiciously for a moment, but figured since Lucy gave it to him, it wouldn't be poisoned or anything. He decided to give it a try. Taking one of the sticks, he stabbed into the fish ball, and brought it into his mouth, chewing. All the while, Lucy was staring at his expression.

"So, how is it?" Lucy asked, somewhat nervously as she herself devouring her food.

Laxus chewed; the flavor was spicy, with almost a hint of lightning. He had to admit, it was pretty good.

"Eh, it's okay." The dragon slayer shrugged noncommittally, but he continued eating. Lucy took that as a sign that he liked it, and sat back, with a content smile on her face.

The two mages sat in peaceful silence, each thinking about the adventure ahead. "Laxus," Lucy piped up. "What do you think the next key is?"

"I don't know." He answered, glancing at her momentarily before continuing to regard the crowd of people.

"Well, I hope it's nice." Lucy said.

"Aren't all your keys nice?" Laxus smiled slightly.

"Well, that is true." Lucy said, swinging her legs back and forth, "except for maybe Aquarius."

Laxus snorted, of course, who could forget the spirit that drowns her owner for interrupting her dates? Even though he had never personally met her, he had heard about it. He remembered seeing her during the Magic Games though, and was surprised when the spirit gave up after just one of Juvia's attacks.

Lucy suddenly stiffened beside him, he looked over at her alarmed. The celestial mage was tense, as her eyes scanned their surroundings. Then she got up and looked at Laxus, to his relief, she wasn't in a trance, but her troubled expression concerned him, since he couldn't sense anything amiss, so he wondered what had her upset. "I sense a key, but it's not one of the diamonds. I've been across these ones before, they feel very familiar." Lucy murmured quietly, answering Laxus unspoken question.

"Are you going to follow it?" Laxus asked, looking at her in concern.

"I have to. The keys are desperate." She said, looking at him almost pleadingly.

"Then let's go." Laxus stood up and shouldered his bag, and then waited for her to take the lead.

Lucy smiled gratefully at Laxus, then taking her own bag; she walked down the street towards a park they had passed on their way here.

The park was deserted at this hour, the sun already setting. Their train had already departed,though thankfully her keys or trance didn't protest her change of plans. Lucy walked in front, leading the way; she was walking towards the direction of the flower maze.

The maze was made out of trimmed bushes, they rose taller than Laxus by a head. Lucy stopped in front of the entrance, looking unsure. "Do you think this is safe?" She asked, her tone slightly high pitched, giving off her nervous state.

"Don't worry, I've got your back." Laxus said. Then, he surprised them both by reaching out and taking her hand, "You lead the way."

Lucy's eyes widened, his hands were large and warm, covering her own small one. Feeling the warmth, and seeing his calm and confident attitude gave her courage. Turning back to her task, she sensed that the keys were somewhere inside this maze, she was sure of it. Lucy knew she needed to find these keys, they were in trouble.

They two mages walked inside, eyes scanning their surroundings in case of danger. The maze was empty, giving out an unpleasant aura. Lucy lead the way, twisting and turning through the maze. It was like there was a gold thread, and all she needed to do was follow it.

They walked for five minutes, Laxus quickly losing track of where they were and how to get out. Bushes and walls became the same green, tall and unyielding. "Are we close to the keys?" Laxus asked, he could sense the blonde getting uncomfortable in the eerie silence, and it worried him a bit too.

"I think so," Lucy closed her eyes, reaching out for the keys, they responded. A bright flare lit up in front of them. Lucy rushed towards it.

She quickly turned around the corner, arriving at a crossed path that leads to four directions. Lucy looked around her, the sky was getting dark, they didn't have much time. Then her eyes caught a gold glint, she hurried forward just as Laxus caught up behind her. Reaching forward under a bush, she pulled out the keys, her eyes widened.

The sign of Libra and Pisces, Yukino's keys, along with the black and silver key of Ophiuchus. "Oh no, she must have been caught here." Lucy whispered as she fingered the keys. She needed to find Yukino, hopefully, she wasn't injured. At least she knew without a doubt that she wasn't dead yet, she could feel that the keys were still contracted, which meant Yukino was definitely alive.

"We should get out of here, I sense mages coming. Take the keys, quickly." Laxus hissed, grabbing her, he hauled her up. "Run."

Lucy ran, fast. The keys were guiding her, giving her the directions out of the maze. Laxus was behind her, glancing over his shoulders often to see if anyone appeared. Lucy turned sharply around a corner, the exit was right in front of them.

Something slammed her backwards, she fell against Laxus, who steadied her. A tall male with the telltale marks of being controlled stood at the other end of the path, preventing them from exiting. "Lucy Heartfillia, you will come with me." Another gale of wind knocked against them, sending them sprawling, hitting the ground. Laxus grunted, then he stood up in front of Lucy, electricity sparking from him.

"She isn't going anywhere with you." Laxus growled, thunder rained down around the intruder, shocking him with lightning.

Undaunted, the mage stood up again, he had put up a wind barrier to protect himself, only his clothes was charred. "This guy is stronger than the other ones we faced." Lucy warned, she got up, taking out her diamond keys.

Laxus looked over at her, she had her hands wrapped around one of the keys, Laxus nodded at the celestial mage. She smiled. "Open, Gate of the Unicorn, Monoceros!"

Thunder struck down as a golden circle flared around Lucy. In the light, Monoceros appeared, power crackling from his entire being. "It's good to see you again, Master." Monoceros greeted. He swerved his head around to look at the dragon slayer. "It'll be a pleasure working with you."

"Like wise." Laxus said, grinning grimly.

"I can't keep him out for too long." Lucy warned.

"One shot is good enough." Laxus answered back, smirking.

"You ready?" Laxus asked, lighting up his body with a dangerous looking electric aura.

"When you are." The unicorn answered as lightning concentrated from Monoceros's ivory horn, then, raising his head, he shot it.

Laxus let out his roar. The two attacks combined together, forming a perfect unison raid, and creating a massive stream of lighting, aimed straight towards the intruder. The attack hit bulls eye, the mage tried to block it, but his already weakened wind powers had no ground against the attacks from both an S-class mage and a diamond key.

When the light died down, the mage was lying face flat on the ground, the area around him was charred black. Laxus smirked, satisfied. Like the other times, shadows rose and swallowed the mage, submerging him into the ground. Monoceros frowned and stamped his feet. "Does this always happen?"

"Yes, they disappear right after we beat them." Laxus looked at Lucy in concern, noticing she looked slightly tired.

"I will take my leave now. I look forward to working with you again." Monoceros said, also noticing the slightly weakened state of his master, then with a nod at Laxus and Lucy, he disappeared in a flash of gold.

"You alright?" Laxus asked, as he walked over towards Lucy, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm a little worn out, but it was better than last time." She said, smiling up at him.

"We should get a place to sleep for tonight. You should talk to Yukino's spirits tomorrow, and we can continue on looking for the next key."

"That sounds nice." Lucy said, then she leaned against Laxus's broad figure, taking in his warmth as the chill night air caused goose bumps to dot her skin. He pulled her under his massive fur coat, and scooped her up, so that he was carrying her, causing her to flush slightly.

"Go to sleep, we'll sort everything out tomorrow." Laxus ordered her.

Lucy pouted, but then smiled. Her magic hadn't tired her out that much, but she still felt like she could use some sleep. And being held against Laxus broad chest, tucked into his jacket, his steady walking slowly started to lull her off. The last thing her mind registered before falling asleep was that she felt completely safe wrapped up in the dragon slayer's arms, and her head resting lightly against him.

**Sorry it took so long. Studies, and all that stuff. Some awesome action! Leave a review! Thanks everyone for following and reviewing. We love you guys!**

**~Summer**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

**Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail**

**Also, thanks to guest user A Lamp. I loved your idea, and just had to use it.**

The next morning Lucy woke up early. And found herself staring straight at the bare muscled chest of Laxus, who was fast asleep beside her. She just barely managed to muffle the indignant squeak that almost popped out of her mouth. Very carefully, she removed herself from bed, and quietly slipped off to the bathroom.

Once she was in the shower, she realized that she was happy she hadn't gotten mad and slapped at him. After all, she and Laxus had gotten a lot closer. Maybe not close enough to share a bed, but she was sure there was a good reason for it. And it's not like she wasn't always falling asleep on him anyway. So, she supposed it wasn't really that big of a deal.

She had just stepped out of the shower, when it happened. With her body still dripping wet, completely naked, her eyes flashed gold, and then settled into magic circles. Her face went slack as the trance took over. Slowly, she turned away from the mirror she had been facing, and started for the door of the restroom, stepping over her neatly folded, clean clothes that she had been about to put on.

Laxus had just finished getting dresses after having woken up and freaking out when he realized the little blondie wasn't beside him. He didn't calm down until he heard the sounds of the water turning off in the bathroom. He hurriedly threw his stuff together, and got dressed, wondering what the girl thought about them having slept together. The stupid hotel hadn't had any double rooms, so he was forced to get a single, and there wasn't a couch, so he decided to just sleep with her. He had meant to get up before he, and hope she wouldn't notice or ask where he slept, but he had been tired.

He heard the door to the bathroom open, and shouldered his pack, turning to ask what she wanted to do for breakfast. He had just opened his mouth, when he froze. His entire body going stiff, and heat rushing to his face.

"What the fuck Lucy!" He yelled, his eyes wide and his face bright red, as his tried to stop his eyes from roving over her curvy body.

The blonde girl ignored him, and instead raised her hand to the knob of the door leading into the hall. Laxus caught a glimpse of her gold eyes though, and swore again, running forward to try and stop her.

"Lucy, stop, snap out of it." He said, grabbing her and shaking her. The blonde fought and wiggled against him, trying to escape his grasp. Laxus grunted, and tried to shift his hardening male parts away from the naked blonde's ass, but in doing so, she managed to slip free.

"Dammit. Virgo! Or somebody." He yelled helplessly, as he again grabbed the girl, and watched her mouth open, ready to scream.

A bright light beside him, and there was Cygnus, frowning in disapproval. A bright light flashed in front of Lucy's face, and suddenly her eyes turned brown again, and she looked around in confusion.

Her eyes took in Laxus startled, blushing, and worried face, and she frowned. "What's going on? Did I trance again?" Lucy asked, raising an eyebrow. Cygnus suddenly disappeared, leaving Laxus to handle the situation.

Laxus stared at her openmouthed, and then very slowly, released her from his hold, and turned around. "Maybe you should get dressed." He said slowly and carefully.

"What?" Lucy asked, she again frowned in confusion, and looked down, and promptly screamed. Laxus heard the sound of her run frantically back into the bathroom, and the door slamming, followed by embarrassed mumblings, and the sound of thumping.

Laxus grinned to himself as he imagined the embarrassed blonde banging her head against something frustration, and just hope she didn't hurt herself too badly. A few minutes later the door opened, and a fully dressed and blushing Lucy walked out.

"Never speak about what just happened." She ordered with a threatening glare.

Laxus grinned. "What, about you being completely naked, and trying to walk out on the street. Seems like you've been hanging with that stripped too much, or about the way you kept wiggling agai-"

"Lucy KICK!" He head her scream, and suddenly a massive force slammed into his cheek, knocking him back a couple feet, and forcing him onto his ass.

He stared wide-eyed at the blonde, unable to believe she managed to knock him down. The girl was now holding her foot in pain as payment, but still, he was impressed. "Okay, I won't mention it again." He promised, as he rubbed at his sore jaw. "You okay?" He asked, seeing her wince in pain as she placed her foot on the ground.

She scowled up at him. "Yes, I'm fine. I think I broke a toe. Stupid hard head." She spat out at him.

Laxus grinned. "You got a nice kick. Maybe you aren't completely hopeless without your keys. Can you punch too?" He asked, curious, and somewhat excited.

Lucy's face turned horrified, and she back away from his excited stare, waving her arms in front of her. "No, no. I can't punch, or fight, don't get any ideas." She said, backing away.

Laxus took a menacing step forward, grin still plastered to his face. "Oh, I think I can teach you. In fact, I will. Starting tonight, you get your first fighting lesson. Now let's go. We got a train to catch." Laxus said as he brushed past her.

Lucy stared after him for a minute, her expression dejected. She was not looking forward to Laxus teaching her how to fight. He would be a beast. Sadly, she trailed after him.

Once on the train, and again heading for the key, Lucy

pulled out Yukino's keys. Laxus watched as she closed her eyes, and a golden glow lit up her hand and the keys as she silently communed with them.

A few minutes later, she opened her eyes. "They say they want to help me find their Master. They'll come to my call for now. We formed a temporary contract. And if anything does happen to Yukino... They'll be mine." Lucy said quietly.

Laxus nodded slowly. "Did they say how the girl was caught?" He asked.

"Three guys attacked her. She fought off the first too, but didn't know about the third, it was the shadow one, he went behind her, and shadow blasted the back of her head. Her keys fell, and she was knocked out. That's the last her spirits know, other than that she's alive, and in pain. They can't trace where she is either." Lucy said.

"Hm, well, we better hurry and get the rest of the diamond keys so we can go after her." Laxus said.

The rest of the ride was spent in silence, until suddenly Lucy stood. "We're really close. When's the next stop, I'm having the urge to get off."

"Not for another hour. Call the swan, have him make a portal off the train." Laxus suggested.

Lucy nodded and did as he asked. Once the swan appeared, it made a portal for them, and the two, again held hands as they passed through. Lucy noticed Laxus stills crew his eyes shut and twisted his face as he traveled through the portal, so when they came out the other side, she was laughing.

"What are you laughing at?" Laxus said, standing up from where they'd landed. At least they weren't on top of each other.

"Your face. Are you scared of the portal?" Lucy asked, still giggling.

Laxus scowled. "If you must know, the sensation bothers me. I'm not scared of it. It's like transportation. I do okay on trains, but I get sick like all the other slayers. I'm just good at pretending it doesn't affect me. There's a rushing sensation though with the portal. I don't like it." He told her, looking away.

"Oh, sorry. I won't laugh then. At least it's quick." She said, finally getting up.

"Yea. So where to?" He asked.

"This way." Lucy said, as she started walking.

They traveled for a little over an hour, walking on along various game trails as they navigated through a dense forest. After awhile, Lucy stopped. "It's somewhere near here." She said glancing around. Her gaze finally stopped on a hole at the bottom of a tree.

She hesitantly stepped forward and knelt down. All she saw was darkness, no glint of a key, though she knew it was in there.

"Well?" Laxus asked.

"I don't see it, but I feel it down there. Virgo can get it." Lucy said, straightening up and pulling out her keys.

"Virgo." She called, and immediately the spirit was by her side.

"Princess, what can I do for you?" The spirit asked.

"There's a diamond key in that hole, but I can't see it or reach it, can you get it for me?" Lucy asked.

Virgo nodded, and then drilled into the ground, disappearing from sight. A few moment's later, she reappeared. "Here you go Princess. Do I need punishment?"

"Nope, thank Virgo, you can go back." Lucy said.

The spirit nodded and then vanished, leaving Lucy examining her new key, and Laxus watching Lucy, and the surrounding forest.

The top of the diamond key showed the wings of a bird, and a hooked beak, Lucy identified it as the key of the Crow, or Corvus.

Holding it out, she called the spirit. "Open, Gate of the Crow, Corvus."

The darkness seemed to seep out of nowhere, manifesting into a large shape in front of them. The darkness caused them both to tense, until they realized it was just the spirit, and not the shadow mage attacking again.

The silhouette of a human identified itself, but with large crow wings sprouting from his back. Black beady eyes stared intensely at Lucy, and below the beak his already dark skin darkened further, turning into a shiny shell like skin, which protruded into a beak.

He was dressed in all black clothes. Black leather pants, with a skintight sleeveless shirt. All of his clothes were ripped and ragged looking. His hair was shoulder length, also black.

"Hello, Master." He murmured very low, so she had to strain to hear. "Pleased to make your acquaintance." The birdman hissed.

Lucy slowly smiled back, unsure of her new spirit. She could feel his intense power, and had felt the drain, and she knew, since he was her Celestial Spirit that he could be trusted. But everything about him screamed beware, and don't trust. From his dark appearance, to his beady eyes, and odd beaked face. Still, if there was anything Lucy was used to her odd half human half animal spirits, so she straightened up, and approached the new spirit, holding her hand out for a casual shake.

"Hello Corvus. It's nice to meet you. I take that you use shadow magic?" She asked politely. "Oh, and please, call me Lucy."

The birdman cocked his head, stretching and bending his neck slightly further than any normal should've been able to. "Lucy wouldn't be entirely appropriate for our relationship. I shall call you Princess as the majority of your spirits do. And yes, shadow magic, as well as dark magic. My secondary ability is allowing you to be invisible when I am out." The spirit hissed quietly.

Lucy felt Laxus shift beside her, and wondered is he was as unnerved by the new spirit as she was. Then she wondered if the spirit knew he was unnerving, and felt bad. Then she remembered that the spirit had tried to get her to walk naked through the streets, and no longer felt bad, and instead annoyed.

"So, were you aware that I was… Indecent when you called to me earlier today?" Lucy asked, narrowing her eyes, and trying to appear dangerous. Which was difficult considering she was dwarfed by the man standing beside her, and compared to the spirit in front of her, she was all bright and shiny to his dark and scary.

"As your spirit, I shall answer honestly. Yes. I had heard tale of your beauty from my close friend, Taurus. And, in my mind, the female human body is best appreciated when bare. I apologize though for the act. Cygnus had a... chat with me about it." The crow spirit said, his tone turning slightly sneering at the end.

Laxus snorted by Lucy's side, causing the spirit to turn his attention to him. "And you, you must be the lightning mage whom Monoceros keeps ranting about. I dislike lightning." The spirit said.

Laxus scowled. "I dislike spirits who take advantage of their Master's magic." Laxus growled back.

"Hmm, yes my Master. I shall be by her side always. While once this matter with Kuro is taken care of, you'll be on your way. Princess will no longer have need of you, and your 'powerful lightning.'" The spirit said, his voice turning haughty.

Before Laxus could bite back a retort, Lucy interjected, "Laxus may not work as closely with me in the future, but he will still by guild mate, and friend, as well as being welcome to accompany me on any mission or job that I take. I also ask that you speak more respectfully to the man who is currently protecting my life, and taking care of me." Lucy said sternly.

The spirit swiveled his head back to her, and bowed his head in a gesture of acceptance. "Very well, Princess. I shall attempt to be more respectful." The spirit said.

"Thank you. Why don't you head back now. And thank you, for allowing me to be your Master." Lucy said.

The spirit blinked it's beady eyes once, and then blew up in a flash of smoky shadow. Once he was gone, Laxus turned to her scowling. "I don't like him."

Lucy grinned sardonically, "Yea. He'll be a tricky one."

A sudden flash drew both of their attention. It was Cygnus. "Princess. I apologize for showing up unexpected. I followed your conversation with Corvus. I just wanted to say, he isn't a bad guy. It's just that he's a darkness and shadow spirit. He cannot help but embody a sense of his magic. Just as Leo can't help but flirt, or the Bull can't help but be pervy. It's part of his nature, though he means no harm. He will protect you with all his power until the day your contract ends. And should your contract end abruptly, because of your death, he would seek vengeance on any and all responsible for it. He truly is a devoted spirit." The swan said, in his peaceful voice.

Lucy nodded to the spirit. "Thank you Cygnus, for letting me know. I'll admit, I wasn't sure about him, so thank you, for reassuring me." She said with a smile.

The swan nodded, "Good. Now, shall I make a portal back to your guild for you, or would you rather go elsewhere?" The swan asked.

Lucy spared a quick glance at Laxus uncomfortable face, and then sighed and nodded. "Yes please. Thank you Cygnus. Can you send us to Laxus house?"

The spirit dipped his head to his water, and then the ripples spread forming the portal. Laxus held out his hand for Lucy, and the two walked forwards, stepping into it together.

The chill rushing sensation passed over them, and then they were falling. Lucy had kept her eyes closed this time, so Laxus could scowl or clench his face in privacy, so once she felt herself falling blindly, she squealed.

She was pleasantly surprised to feel herself land on a soft and bouncy surface. A welcoming smell of spice and forests drifted toward her. Her pleasant surprise was rudely interrupted when a heavy weight landed right on top of her. Her eyes burst open, and she found herself staring right into Laxus surprised face. His body was resting on top of hers, his legs straddling her hips.

**Here's the latest chapter for you guys.**

**Thanks for all the reviews and positive support.**

**Deathsembrace.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Fairy Tail is by Hiro Mashima**

**Thanks to all of your reviews, they made me laugh so hard! You guys are amazing.**

**Enjoy the newest chapter!**

They stared at each other in momentary shock, not knowing how to react to the situation they were in. All Lucy could think was that she was somehow, in a twisted way, enjoying the view of Laxus's shocked face, and his blue green eyes staring widely into hers. His handswere supporting himself on either side of her head, their faces were inches apart. If she tried, she could kiss him without much trouble.

"Umm, you want to get off? My legs are getting numb." Lucy said quietly, deciding that kissing him was not the best plan at the moment. Who knew what could happen after?

Laxus blinked, as if he didn't hear her before, and was just now remembering their awkward position. He jumped away from her suddenly, standing up quickly, and leaving her alone on his bed, staring at her as if she was something dangerous.. Lucy was hurt, did he not like her?

"Sorry." Laxus mumbled, he backed away till his back hit the wall furthest from his large bed, and then leaned against it warily. They had been in such an improper position, and he'd been so tempted to kiss her, but knew the outcome of it wouldn't be something either would like. They were just now considering each other friends, and he liked it the way it is. He didn't want to be more than that. He just needed to get away from her and clear his head. "You go ahead and rest, you'll be safe here, I have something I need to do."

Not waiting for a reply, he shot away, coated in his lightning. He rushed out the front door of his house, and into the woods. He wished there was a rain storm, they always calmed him down. He looked up at the sky, the clouds were drifting lazily, and the sky was still a brilliant shade of blue. The rain storm wasn't happening anytime soon, he sighed, and continued on heading to a spot he knew he could think at.

Lucy looked at the now open bedroom door and sighed. Slowly she pulled herself up, and walked out across his front porch and into the small clearing in front of his house. Laxus was nowhere in sight. Not that she even knew what'd she say to him if she found him. Spotting a small trail, she walked down it, allowing the peace and quiet of the forest to steady her heart,and quiet her mind so she could think. She trudged up and down the small trail leading to Laxus's house, never allowing herself to stray out of sight of it for long. She walked with her head down, deep in thought. He didn't have to go through such ways to tell her that he didn't like her. Lucy was hurt by his actions, he had bolted away so fast, and looked at her like he was horrified to even be that close to her. Maybe he didn't want to travel with her? After all, it was master who told him to follow her. But, he had seemed to be getting along okay with her. Even letting her sleep on it, and offering to carry her, and sharing a bed. Maybe it had just been because she was weak at the time.

"Maybe I'm just not that important to him." Lucy said out loud, with a small frown, not liking the thought.

She clasped her hands behind her back as she walked, the trees were blooming, summer was coming very soon, and ti was beautiful out. Still, she knew she should head back inside, especially since she was alone. She turned back around on the path and followed the worn out trail made by the dragon slayer walking on it so often. Soon enough, his house came back into view. She went to open the front door, but found it had locked itself.

"Great, I forgot to have Laxus give me a house key… Now I have to stay out here until he gets back from that little walk of his." Lucy grumbled. She peeked into her bag, that she had yet to take off, and found two chocolate bars. Taking one out, she opened the wrapper and started chewing, while wondering how long it was going to take for Laxus to come back.

Soon, the celestial mage was getting bored from waiting, it'd been at least ten minutes, not to mention the half hour she'd walked around herself. The two chocolate bars were already gone, eaten by the third minute, and she was noticing that she extremely hungry, any minute and her belly would start grumbling.

Lucy got up and stretched. Maybe she should try picking the lock? She dug into her pockets, and found the hair clip she had used the day before, and was left in her pocket. She smirked, this was what Laxus gets for ditching her. Grabbing her bag, she walked over to the door.

Lucy twisted the clip, so that it turned into a bendy wire, and stuck it into the key hole. She felt around the keyhole, seeking around for a moment before finding the switch. The lock turned with a click. "Success!" Lucy cheered, opening the door. She walked inside, hips swinging, very pleased with herself. She had learned this skill the night she ran away from home, creeping through the front door and gate wasn't that easy. And her father never gave her her own keys to the house. Getting out hadn't been a problem, and the doors had locked automatically behind her. But then a patrol had come around, and it took her last minute thinking to pick the lock, or else she would have been caught by the guards.

First things first, she needed food. The blonde walked into the kitchen, and opened the fridge. "Eggs, tomatoes, left over noodles, and ice cream. I need to go shopping again." Lucy muttered to herself. She decided to stick with the ice cream. Grabbing the carton, she took a bowl and made a double scoop with chocolate coating.

Taking a spoon, she dug in. Lucy carried her bowl and walked over towards the kitchen table. She plopped down on one of the chairs, swinging her legs, her earlier worries forgotten.

Laxus can be an ass sometimes, she thought. But there were times when he did seem like he cared, but what were his true feelings?

Just then, something black caught her eyes. Her head snapped up, sticking her spoon into the melting ice cream, she stood up, keys in her hand. "Who's there?" She called out tentatively.

Warily, she walked over to the front door, if she was in trouble, she could make a bolt to Laxus. Taking out her zodiac keys, she mentally called to Virgo. "I need you to get Laxus now. Something is up."

"Yes princess, I will be back." Virgo said into her mind.

"Hurry, please." Lucy felt Virgo pop out of her gate some distance away, and then her magical presence faded as she left behind the house in search of Laxus.

Lucy walked out the door, and back onto the porch, her eyes scanning her surroundings. If this was one of Kuro's people, let's just say she wasn't looking forward to encountering them again. She hoped that Laxus will get here in time.

The black flashed again, this time closer to her, startling her. She took a step back just as three mages emerged from the shadows. Three ashen and brain dead people. "Stop bothering me, for goodness sake." Lucy said annoyed. She took out Draco, though for some reason, her fingers had first landed on Corvus.

This time, three attacks came shooting at Lucy, a combination of water, fire and shadows. The attacks were not in sync, far from a perfect unison raid. Lucy jumped out of the way, and the attack broke Laxus's door, it went flying inside the house. Great, now he is going to kill me, thought Lucy.

The celestial mage took out Draco, and summoned him, "Open, Gate of the Dragon, Draco!"

The majestic beast rose and towered over the house, he grinned at his prey, then breathed a thin stream of fire at the three, knocking the water mage and the fire mage down instantly.

"Corvus wants the other mage, so I'm going to leave now. Okay?" Draco's voice echoed as disappeared in a cloud of red smoke.

Lucy muttered incoherent words under her breath about not even waiting for an answer, as she took out Corvus's key, "Open, Gate of the Crow, Corvus!" Black shadows rose from the key, and transformed into a half human being. His beady eyes stared at the last remaining mage, who stared back with blank eyes.

Corvus raised his hands in the air, and a ball of shadows gathered from the shades of the trees. He then tossed it like a football towards the shadow mage, aiming to hit him square in the head. But the sparks from the shadow attack blasted around, making scorch marks on the walls of Laxus's house. Now he is going to hang me by the head, then drop me off a mountain, and then kill me, Lucy thought, letting out a nervous burst of laughter.

"Try not to destroy Laxus's house, okay? He will murder me." Lucy called to Corvus, who was shooting shadows likes bullets.

"It's not like you live here." Corvus replied, easily swiveling his head to fix her in his gaze, while still sending shadow bullets at the enemy.

"Well, I do, for your information." Lucy retorted, crossing her arms under her chest.

Corvus paused, raised an eyebrow, then shrugged, as if he understood something she didn't. He turned back towards the mage, and gave him a punch in the stomach, a orb of shadow encasing his fist, the shadow mage collapsed onto the ground, and like every other time, black fog rose and covered the three mages, and they disappeared.

"Thanks, Corvus." Lucy said, smiling at the spirit.

"Anything for you, Princess. I will take my leave now, thank you for letting me accompany you in battle." The crow bowed, his hand swiveling in front of him in a elegant fashion, and his wings rippling. The shadows suddenly convulsed around him and he vanished into the spirit realm.

Lucy sat down hard on the ground, wiping sweat from her brows. She was somewhat tired, and still hungry. In any case, Laxus still hasn't returned, what was with him today? Lucy thought, as her hand trailed down to lay against Virgo's key. "Where are you guys?"

Virgo responded immediately. "I could not find Laxus-sama, do I need a punishment?"

Lucy didn't answer right away, where could he be? She was getting worried, the sun was going down, and it was going to be dark soon. "Have you looked everywhere? He could be up a tree." She asked.

"Yes princess. He is not in this area."

"Thanks, I'll go looking for him myself." Lucy thought back.

"I'm sorry, I will take my leave now."Virgo replied, and Lucy felt the moment her maiden spirit returned.

Lucy got up quickly, Laxus had said he was walking for a bit, so maybe he went somewhere quiet. The people that know him best would be in the guild, they would know where he is, and help her find him. She wasn't going to relax until she found him.

The blond ran into the house, grabbed her coat and rushed towards the guild. The thunder god tribe would tell her where he is. After all, they were with him for such a long time, so they had to know where to look.

Lucy sprinted to the guild doors, attracting looks from the villagers as she passed. How she must look to them, running like a mad girl, and in a mess from the battle before, but then again, they were probably somewhat used to it, considering they all lived near Fairy Tail. Lucy reached the doors and pushed them open, walking hurriedly in. Most guild members looked up at the commotion, their eyes casting over her, and calling out greetings. Lucy ignored them. Instead her eyes found Freed, Bixlow and Evergreen. She hurried over to the three mages who were eating their dinner. As soon as she reached the table, she slammed her hand down, garnering their attention.

"I can't find Laxus!"

**Hi again. It's some drama this time! And you get to meet the newest key in battle. Leave a review! Thanks so much for following, favoriting and reviewing! We love you all.**

**~Summer**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

**Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail**

Laxus walked slowly back to his house. He had gone to his favorite thinking spot, a ledge on a cliff overlooking the city. He had freaked out when he realized his and blondie's position and that he had been about to kiss her, until she opened her mouth and told him to get off. He couldn't believe he almost kissed her. She would have killed him, and then told Gramps. Stupid spirits dropping them onto his bed like. But damn, she looked amazing on his bed, and underneath him. And he could swear she had looked like she wanted to be kissed.

As he walked into the clearing by his house, he looked up and stopped. His heart leapt into his throat as his eyes took in his battered house, his broken door. The signs of a fight and struggle. His eyes immediately noticed the absence of the blonde girl that he had been ordered to protect.

Laxus stood there for a full minute, his heart beating out of control, and and yet feeling like it had stopped at the same time. His mind raced with thoughts of the girl. Memories of her. Of their last couple weeks together, and from before he had gotten to know her. He saw them on the train, her sleeping in his arms, the way she looked when he fell asleep with her on the bed. And then the last image, the image that sprung him into action, the battered torn body of the blonde as that bitch Minerva dropped her from the water battle.

Laxus sprang forward, running for his house, "LUCY!" He yelled, as he dashed inside. It took him less than five seconds to check the house over, with no sign of the blonde. He realized that she must have been taken. She must have still been tired from the fight before, and she hadn't been able to defend herself. Laxus sank to the ground, the knowledge that he failed, and that the girl he had come to really like had been taken from under his watch.

"Lucy." Laxus whispered to himself.

* * *

Lucy waited as the three mages glanced at each other, and then back at Lucy.

"What happened? When was the last time you saw him?" Freed spoke up, his expression worried. Beside him Bixlow and Evergreen sat on the edge of their seats, ready to spring into action.

"We were at his house, and he said he had something he needed to do and then left. I haven't seen him since, and I was attacked." Lucy answered in a rush.

"Lucy, did Laxus seem upset by something?" Evergreen asked.

Lucy nodded, "Yea, he did."

All three mages relaxed and sat back, "He's fine, just off thinking in one of his spots." Bixlow said, waving a hand in a don't worry gesture.

Lucy looked between the three, "Are you sure? I had Virgo go look, but she couldn't find him." She said, still worried, her hands now alternating between wringing together and brushing reassuringly against her keys.

"Laxus is strong enough to take care of himself. Besides, the enemy is after you not him, so why would they attack him?" Freed said.

"Just go back to his house Lucy, he's probably home and looking for you. He doesn't usually need to think for long." Evergreen said.

"What if he's not back? What if he really is in trouble?" Lucy asked, almost hysterical.

"Lucy, he's fine." Freed said gently. "Go home, you'll see." He said, then he turned back to his team, and they went back to their previous discussion.

Lucy stood there for a full minute, her mind refusing to believe she had just been dismissed. Dismissed by the very people who dedicated their lives to Laxus, and his safety. And yet, here he was, possibly in trouble, and they just sat there.

Slowly, Lucy turned around, and walked back to the door. The minute her feet were outside, she started to run. If they were right, and he was back, she was going to scream at him for worrying her. But if they were wrong, and he wasn't back yet, then she would find him, without anyone's help. She would find him, and bring him back. So what if he didn't have feelings for her, she could still have feelings for him. And maybe someday, he would return those feelings.

She was almost back to his house when she heard her name screamed out. She immediately recognized the voice as belonging to Laxus, and shifted into a sprint. She had sweat running down her back, and her heart was hammering with worry. Was he in trouble, why was he screaming for her?

She burst into the clearing just as Laxus knelt down and whispered her name. And then she remembered. The house was all banged up from the fight, and he must have thought she was taken. She skidded to a stop, her eyes flickering to his position, and the look of despair on his face. The look of someone who had lost something they cared deeply about.

"Laxus." Lucy said, in a small voice, almost a whisper.

His face shot up, his bright blue eyes landing on hers. "Lucy." He said, jumping up.

She ran to him, and threw herself in his arms, which he opened just in time to catch her. "Laxus, I was so worried about you. I sent Virgo to look for you, and she couldn't find you, so I went to the guild, but the Raijinshuu wouldn't help me. I thought you were taken." Lucy said, tears of relief falling from her eyes as she clung to him.

Laxus stood their dumbfounded. She had been worried for him. Him, the most powerful mage in Fairy Tail, not counting Gildarts. The girl he was supposed to be protecting was worried about him. He almost wanted to laugh, the idea was just so ridiculous to him. "You were worried about me? I'm supposed to be taking care of you. Don't ever go running off again, you nearly gave me a heart attack, Blondie." Laxus said, trying to sound admonishing, but failing because he was just too damn relieved to have her back safe.

"Me run off! Your the one who left." Lucy said. "Don't leave me again. If you need to think, sit on the porch, don't run off and leave me." Lucy retorted back, still holding him tightly, taking comfort in his warmth.

"I won't leave you again." Laxus promised, then he stepped back, grabbing her shoulders and holding her in front of him, his eyes roving over her. "Are you hurt, what happened?" Laxus asked with concern.

Lucy smiled softly, "I'm okay. The shadow mage, a water one and a fire one came. Draco took out the water and fire, and then Corvus took on the shadow guy. I'm sorry about your house." She added, smiling sheepishly.

Laxus grinned, "Don't worry about it. Just gotta rehang the door, it'll take five minutes." He said, turning to go back inside.

"Laxus." Lucy said, stopping him.

He turned back, "Yea Blondie."

"Why did you leave earlier, were you upset with me?" Lucy asked softly, her eyes staring into the ground.

Laxus wilted inside, realizing that the way he left had upset her. "No, I wasn't mad at you. I just needed to think."

"Okay." Lucy said, looking up and meeting his eyes. "Let's go fix your door then. And then you can teach me how to punch." She added with a grin, hoping to lighten the mood.

Laxus nodded, and then went inside, easily lifting the door, and placing it back on it's hinges. Once it was done, he motioned for Lucy to follow him. She followed him back outside, and he held up his hands. "Okay, punch me as hard as you can, right on my palm."

Lucy looked at him nervously, "Won't it hurt you?" She asked fearfully.

Laxus smirked, "Nope, you can't hurt me."

Nodding, Lucy stepped forward, brought her arm back and punched, her face contorting with effort. A light smack was heard as she fisted into his palm. She quickly glanced up, checking to see if he was hurt.

Laxus pulled back his hand, and looked at his palm, which had the slightest pink color, then he looked back at Lucy, "Seriously, that was it?" He asked, dead serious.

"Umm, yes." Lucy said shrugging, and shifting in embarrassment.

Laxus sighed. First of all, turn your whole body into the punch, use your hips, move with the punch. Second, unless you want to break your thumb, don't curl you hands around it. Now, stand like this." Laxus said, showing her how to stand. Once she was in position, he reached for her arm. Resting his hand on it, he helped her draw it back, then he shifted it forward, showing her how to move her hip and put her whole body behind the punch. "Got it?"He asked quietly, his breath dusting over the back of her neck.

Lucy took a deep breath, and then nodded yes. She was freaking out inside. Laxus was standing so close to her, and his hand was resting on her arm, and one had just been guiding her hip. And she could barely focus. Only her wanting to make him proud kept her wayward thoughts grounded.

Laxus stepped back, and held his hand up again, nodding as a signal her to try again. Lucy bit her lip, and then drew back her arm, turning her body with it, then she stepped forward, thrusting her arm forward with all her might. She could feel, as her fist sailed to his palm, the power behind it. A loud resounding smack echoed across the clearing, and Laxus took a step back, a smile plastered on his face.

"Much better Blondie. Punch like that along with your kicks, and you'll do fine." Laxus said, patting his hand on her head.

Lucy scowled, and shrugged his hand off, not wanting to feel like a child. Really, the last thing she wanted was to feel like a kid around the man she wanted to kiss. "Don't mess up my hair." She said, her voice annoyed.

Laxus raised an eyebrow but dropped his hand. Lucy sighed, "It makes me feel like a kid, I don't like it." She explained.

Laxus smirked, "You are a kid, at least to me, your 6 years younger."

Lucy stopped dead. And then slowly turned to him, her expression hurt. She realized then that she had no chance with him, if he really thought that. Her hurt slowly turned to anger. How could he say that. She wasn't a kid. She was eighteen. She had run away when she was sixteen, and had basically raised herself before that. She was not a kid. She leveled a glare in his direction, and then spun, and stomped towards the house, she slammed the door behind her with enough force to cause the windows to rattle.

A minute later, she burst back out of the house, walked towards him, her expression furious. She lifted her hand and poked him hard in the chest, as he watched her, completely stunned. "I am not a kid. I am an eighteen year old woman. And I should be twentyfive. I should be dating or married. Don't ever call me a kid, and don't compare our ages. I don't care about ages. I care about you." She ended, her eyes bright with tears, as her anger faded back into sadness, thinking she had no chance with him.

Laxus looked at her for a moment, "You care about me?" He asked.

Lucy nodded, "I do." She said, looking up at him, her expression slowly gaining confidence. She didn't care if he didn't return her feelings, she wasn't going to hide them, she didn't want to. She wanted to be open and honest. "I like you Laxus, and I thought you liked me too, I thought you were going to kiss me earlier, until you just left, and then I was worried sick about you. And when I saw you were worried about me a little while ago, I got my hopes up again. But apparently you think I'm just a kid. But, I'm not. I'm a woman, and I have feelings for you." She said, finishing and staring at him defiantly, daring him to tell her she was a kid again.

Laxus heart stopped as she spoke those words. He knew it! He knew she wanted him to kiss her earlier. As she finished, and after a moment, he realized he needed to respond, to say tell her how he feels. Even if he wasn't a guy who did feelings. For her, he'd make an exception.

Seeing her starting to look dejected at his lack of response, spurred him on. Without another seconds thought, he stepped forward, locking his hand behind her head and pulling her towards him. His other hand he cupped around her cheek, tilting her head upwards, and staring into her wide chocolate brown eyes. He slowly lowered his head towards hers, watching as her eyes fluttered closed and a look a pure happiness crossed her face. Then, he closed his eyes and sealed his lips against hers.

**Not where I expected to go with this chapter, but it happened, haha. Hope you liked it. **

**Let me know.**

**DeathsEmbrace**


	16. Chapter 16

**Fairy Tail is by Hiro Mashima, who got Gray shot multiple times in the latest manga chapter…**

**This chapter is by Summer**

**Have fun reading, I know you guys want it.**

Lucy pulled back, faced flushed. Her hands still locked around Laxus's neck, tangled in his spiky blond hair. She'd been kissed by a few guys before, but never like this, the kisses before never held a connection. Kissing Laxus, on the contrary, was like flying. She would have floated away if it weren't for the dragon slayers lips on hers.

"What would the guild make of this?" Lucy laughed. She leaned her forehead against his. Blue-green eyes stared back at her; unsuppressed happiness danced in their depths.

"Let them think, they have no idea." Laxus pulled her closer, giving her a light brush on the lips. He was too lost in bliss to care about the outside world, for just this moment, he could let down his usual demure, and just be himself.

The celestial mage gave another burst of laugher, using her finger tips, she traced his lightning shaped scar. Taking advantage of their height difference, he reached down and picked her up, one arm under her knees and the other wrapped around her slim shoulders. "Someone seems caught." He smirked.

The dragon slayer spun her around in circles, both of them laughing hard and breathless when he stopped. Lucy had never seen this side of him, the carefree and relaxed side, the total opposite of the usual serious look. She loved this new side he showed her, she wanted to see it more.

Leaning back against his broad chest, she sighed. Strong, steady arms wrapped around her, pulling her even closer. Both of them closed their eyes, basking in each other's presence. It was rare that there was a moment to themselves in the past few weeks.

"You know Blondie? I've thought about this for a long time." Laxus muttered, brushing his lips against her forehead. Lucy hummed in response. Reaching a hand out, she pulled his face down to meet hers. The kiss was gentle and sweet, and if there was one moment Lucy could stay in forever, it would have been this one.

Somebody coughed behind them, a male voice interrupted their kiss. "I'm sorry to barge in at this moment, but I am here for a reason. Maybe you guys should do all this later."

Startled, both mages looked up. The orange haired spirit with a very smudged face, and a small dragon perched on his shoulders stood beside the door. "Ah, I'm sorry we had to be here, but a suggestion has aroused from your spirits, Lucy." Draco said apologetically.

"Well, get the hell out of here, come back some other day." Laxus growled. One day, these spirits were going to get a lesson about privacy and wrong timing.

Lucy put a hand on his arm, but the dragon slayer could see the annoyed look written all over her face. "What are you doing here, Loke? As you can clearly see, I'm busy at the moment."

"Sure you are, you're busy su—" Loke stopped as Draco cut him off.

"As all your spirits suggested, we are here to train you. Loke is a fighting spirit, while as a diamond key, I'm here to tell you a bit more on how to use them." Draco said, while eyeing the Lion spirit threateningly.

Lucy pursed her lips, the training did sound helpful, but next time, she needed to tell them to stop appearing whenever. "Fine," She looked over at Laxus. "You don't mind, do you? You could help as well."

"Just tell your spirits to keep their hands off you, and I'll help." He answered, while glaring at Loke.

"Don't worry, I won't touch Lucy, chill." Loke smirked. This would be fun, provoking Laxus, he thought.

The trio and the dragon walked outside to a clearing not far from Laxus's house, a spacious flat spot, perfect for training. "First, we will start with your combat skills. Try punching Loke." Draco rumbled. He grew till he was the height of Laxus, and sat at the edge of the clearing, his tail twitching as he watched.

Lucy scrunched up her face, she didn't personally like punching people, nor had she really ever tried, besides when Laxus taught her earlier, but that wasn't a real combat session. The closest physical attack she knew was the 'Lucy kick', but that was only used when her team ever came to her apartment, and on occasional battles. Stretching her fingers, she fisted them into a ball, like Laxus taught her. Loke stood close to her, holding out a hand for her to punch.

The celestial mage lifted her hand, and gave it her best shot. Concentrating her strength on her hands, her hands sailed forward with surprising speed. Loke took a few small steps back, an eye brow raised. "You can punch?"

"Umm, not really. Laxus gave me a brief lesson on it." Lucy said, glancing over at Laxus, who gave her an approving nod.

"Well, there are some things he missed, special tricks for celestial mages in physical combat." Loke demonstrated with his own fist. Lighting it up with his own magic. "When you add your own powers into your punches, it will be much stronger. Just like how dragon slayers punch with their own element, you can focus your magic on boosting your power."

Lucy's eyes lit up with interest, this might make up for the lack of physical power. Lifting her own fist, she closed her eyes, channeling her magic. It began to gather, as Lucy's fist started glowing softly, then stronger until it was almost as bright as Loke's own Regulus Impact. She looked at Loke for approval.

"Good, now try to punch me again. Do the same as you did before, you'll see the difference." Loke braced himself for the punch, knowing full well how much it was going to boost his owner's punch.

The celestial mage positioned herself, and punched with all her might. It hit with a solid thunk on Loke's palm, the sprit himself staggered back, his hand turning red. "Good, that actually hurt." Shaking his hand to rid the redness, he gave Lucy a proud look. "Now all you need to do is be more accurate and give more strength into your punches."

On the sidelines, Laxus stared at Lucy as she progressed, her smile wide for the world to see. She was special, someone who didn't mind being next to him, with his towering presence. She was always cheerful, always ready to face on challenges. She made his day enjoyable, fun even. Being beside her wasn't awkward like he was with the others, he could just be himself. His mouth lifted at the corners as Lucy gave cheer, yet another successful punch.

When Lucy was tired from the physical movements, Draco sat her down and gave her a brief lesson on saving energy while summoning, focusing her magic together instead of pouring her magic out like she usually did while opening the gates. She was less tired now when she summoned the spirits out, she was able to keep two gold keys out for a longer period of time. It was also easier to summon a diamond key as well.

When the lessons where done, Lucy was dead tired, the sky was getting darker, as the last rays of sunlight peaked around the mountains.

"You should get some rest, tomorrow; you will need to continue to gather keys. We need to be faster. Cygnus is urging the spirits to call out to you, so be prepared to travel." Draco gave her final instructions, and left them for the night.

Lucy dropped on the forest floor, staring up at the sky, stars where blinking on. "Thanks Laxus."

Laxus looked startled, he glanced at her questioningly.

"For putting up with me, and following me around and all. And then for teaching me to fight, training me, and getting me out of all those tough situations." Lucy stared up at the dragon slayer, she never really appreciated his good looks, she was always too shy to approach him before these events started happening.

Laxus let on a gentle smile, it lit up his face, made him look younger, and even more so handsome. He sat down beside her, and put his arms around her, Lucy moved closer to his warmth. "No problem."

Lucy looked up to the sky, it had darkened, the only light source now was from the stars. "Look! It's Leo!" Lucy pointed.

"That perverted lion?" Laxus snorted, invoking a burst of laugher from Lucy.

"There's Monoceros over there, and there's also Pegasus's constellation. I hope I get his key, it'd be nice to fly." Lucy rested her head on Laxus's shoulder.

"It would be nice." The dragon slayer agreed.

Lucy yawned, closing her eyes, she leaned against him. Laxus stood up, and scooped the blond female up. He carried the sleepy girl back towards his house. He had a feeling he would sleep well tonight, because she was safe, and she would always be there with him.

Lucy woke up to a ring in her head, sitting up, she looked around blearily. She was in the white room she first woke up in, the simple designed seemed so familiar to her now. Gathering her clothes Virgo delivered last night, she changed into comfortable hiking gear, and stylish waterproof boots. The ringing was still in her head, she had no idea why.

With a light skip in her steps, she walked into the kitchen. Laxus was making toast and eggs, with butter in a small cup, sitting in the middle of the table. It was nice for a change, usually; she was the one making food for her team. Walking up to Laxus, she put a hand on his shoulders, and gave him a small kiss. He smiled at her. "Good morning, breakfast is ready." He gestured to the table, then he frowned.

"What's wrong?" Lucy asked.

"Your eyes, they're gold again."

Lucy's eyes widened, she went over to a mirror and checked. Sure enough, they were flickering a solid gold color. So that was the source of her dizzy head. A spirit was calling her.

"I suppose we have to leave after breakfast, I have my things already packed." Laxus said as she walked back to the kitchen.

"Thanks Laxus." Lucy smiled gratefully and the blond male, what would she do without him?

Laxus makes the best breakfast, they ate quickly, packed their bags, and head outside. Lucy stood at the doorway, closing her eyes, she searched for the key. The familiar magic responded, far out into the woods. The pair started walking, with Lucy leading the way into the dense forest.

"Laxus?" Lucy looked over at him.

"Yes?"

Lucy took his hand, threading her fingers through his large warm hands. His mouth turned upwards, and he squeezed her hands, holding them tighter together as they looked for the next key.

**Ah, the romance… Our two lovely teens have grown up. Thanks for all your comments, they made me laugh. Keep it up! Sorry, it's been long, I've had exams and projects. I need summer vacation!**

**~Summer**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen**

**Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail**

**This chapter by DeathsEmbrace. Enjoy:)**

Lucy and Laxus had been walking all of fifteen minutes went she felt the pull get stronger. She slowly felt her control slipping, as the key strengthened its call. With a golden flash, her eyes turned vacant, magic circles appearing, and she was forced more speedily forward.

Laxus frowned when Lucy lost control. He had hoped she would remain aware this trip, and he'd get to enjoy her company, but he supposed at least this way it was impossible for them to get lost. Shifting his pace, he started taking longer strides, matching his speed to the frenzied walk of the girl beside him.

They walked on for the whole morning, and on into the afternoon, never stopping once. Laxus was beginning to get frustrated. He was thirsty, and hungry, and ready to be done for the day. They were deep into the wilderness by now, surrounded by ancient trees. The trees grew close together, and their trunks were so thick that even if he and Lucy joined arms, they wouldn't be able to wrap around it. It was actually kind of a cool forest, he thought, though it was also really dark and shadowed, he was on high alert for any appearance from the annoyingly weak shadow mage.

It was while he was thinking about how he'd like to permanently end the shadow mage, that Lucy came to a halt, her stare facing upwards into the trees. Laxus followed her stare and saw a glint, way up on the topmost branches of the tree.

"You gotta be shittin' me." He muttered. "How the hell..." Laxus just stopped and shook his head, looking towards Lucy who was coming out of the trance. When she looked at him questioningly, he lifted his hand and pointed.

Lucy looked up and frowned. "Wonder how it got up there." She pondered.

Laxus shrugged, "Better question: How are we getting it down?" He asked.

Lucy smiled and reached for her whip, "That's easy." She stated, letting her whip fly up into the air, the end of it latching onto the key.

Once the key was safely in her hand, Lucy put her whip away, and then bent to examine the key. She saw what looked to be a drawn bow, an arrow notched, with a brilliant sun instead of an arrow head. "Well, I guess it's an archer, and since I already have Sagittarius, it must be Orion. I don't know much about him, except that legend says he was once human. He did some heroic deed, and was elevated to the status of Celestial Spirit. When he was a human, he was a hunter. I don't know what his Celestial Powers are." Lucy explained with a frown.

Laxus shrugged, "Just call him and ask him then." He said, the answer seeming obvious to him.

Lucy looked at him and rolled her eyes, "It's not that simple idiot. I can't summon him if I don't know his power. Hunter may work, but if that isn't one of his powers now it won't. Like with Corvus, I have to call him saying Gate of the Crow, or with Horologium, Gate of the Clock. Hunter may be what he was, but if it's not what he is now, it might not work."

"Can't you at least try it? If it doesn't work, it doesn't work." Laxus said with a shrug, not understanding what the big deal was. He watched as the blonde frowned again, and once more rolled her eyes. Narrowing his eyes into a glare, he approached her, his voice slightly threatening, "Roll your eyes at me again."

Lucy smirked, looking up at him, completely unafraid of the threat, as it was accompanied by an amused glint in his eyes. With his attention entirely focused on her, she blatantly gave him an over-exaggerated eye roll, her head turning in the process.

Laxus immediately grabbed her up, lifting her into his arms, smiling as she began to giggle. "What? You told me to do it again." Lucy yelled, her voice full of laughter and mock innocence.

Laxus shook his head fondly, and then put her back down, "Okay Blondie, why was I wrong that time?" He asked.

Lucy smiled, "Well, if I did what you said, and just tried it, and I was wrong, then the key may get pissed for my lack of knowledge and shock me, or suck up all my magic power." She explained. "It's one of the reasons why I have to know all my constellations, and why I have all the keys memorized."

Laxus frowned, "Well what are you going to do then, ask Cygnus?" He asked.

Lucy shook her head, "No, it's impolite to ask. I'll just have to try, and hope it works. If not, nothing may happen, or I get shocked, or I wait till tomorrow when my magic is restored to try again." She explained.

Laxus frowned again, "I don't want you to get hurt. If it attacks you, I'll attack it. Hear that Spirit!" Laxus shouted, knowing the Spirits tended to listen in on Lucy's life.

Lucy scowled and hit him, "Don't threaten my Spirits. It's not their fault humans suck at remembering things, and writing things down. We lost the history, not them." Lucy reprimanded. Then she focused, twisting the key in the air, she called out, "Open, Gate of the Hunter, Orion!"

A golden circle appeared beneath her, and the Spirit came forth. A tall, muscled blonde male, with brilliant gold eyes, glowing almost white. He was dressed in a light tan tunic, with tight brown leather breeches, a bow slung over his shoulder, and a short sword strapped to his waist, the hilt decorated with a blazing sun. He appeared in his early twenties, and to say he was handsome, would have been an understatement. He was gorgeous. His face had a strong look about it, but it was accompanied by the warmest smile she had ever seen. Every muscle looking like it was chiseled to perfection, and his tight breeches didn't leave much to the imagination, and he definitely had something to be proud of it, Lucy thought with a blush.

The Hunter stepped forward, and bowed, his hand reaching out to gently take Lucy's hand, his lips stopping an inch above her wrist, his hot breath blowing over her skin, as he softly said, "My Lady." Then he straightened and stepped back to a respectable distance.

Lucy blushed furiously, while Laxus scowled, letting out a light growl. Dammit! He thought, another spirit to watch out for. Stupid pretty celestial boys.

Lucy finally came to her senses, and had to hold back a slight giggle, "Hi Orion." She greeted him.

Orion smiled again, "Lady Lucy, and you must be her suitor, Sir Laxus." Orion said, his voice sounding lilted and foreign, as he again bowed, this time to Laxus. "It is my honor to serve you, Lady Lucy, and you as well Sir Laxus." The Spirit stated.

Lucy blushed again, awed by the Spirit's mannerisms. Unlike Loke, Orion seemed naturally chivalrous, it being a part of who he was, instead of a way to pick up girls. It reminded her of the old era she read in books. Laxus grinned as well, liking his new title, as he thought maybe this particular Spirit wasn't so bad after all. As long as he knew Lucy was his, and didn't threaten their relationship, they'd get along just fine. Plus, the title rocked.

"Thank you, Orion. Or is it Sir Orion?" Lucy asked, curious.

Orion shook his head, "You honor me, Lady. Just Orion, if it pleases you." The spirit said gently.

Lucy nodded smiling, her blush still colored her checks, "Very well. I am honored that you see me fit to bear you key. May I inquire as to your powers?" Lucy asked, unable to hold back her proper speech in his company, taught by her former tutors back home, and mimicked the spirits way of speech. Laxus smirk and roll his eyes.

Orion inclined his head to her, "As you wish, I am the Celestial Spirit of Light. My powers utilize, and form light. My secondary ability, is of course, my ability to hunt. I often choose to direct my light with my arrows, but I am just as capable of forming, and directing it with my bare hands." Orion informed her.

Lucy nodded, "So, when I call you, should I call you as the Hunter, or the Spirit of Light?" She asked.

Orion smiled, "Either will do, My Lady. Though I prefer Hunter. It reminds me of my days as a young human man." He said, his tone turning wistful, and his eyes taking a faraway look.

Lucy gave a sad look, "Is it hard, being turned immortal?" She asked, her voice gentle.

Orion came out of his reverie and again smiled at her, "Nay, not hard. At times I miss my old life. Though human lives are fleeting, they hold more life. When I was offered this chance, as a young man, I leapt at the opportunity, and the honor. Then I watched, as all my friends died, my family, and my wife, the most beautiful young lady I had ever seen, and the love of my life, she passed too, after me having to watch her age from afar. I did not realize that by choosing to be a Spirit, I would be giving them up. None of my friends were wizards, or able to call forth Spirits, so I never saw them again. The Spirit King allowed me, on the day my wife died, to be with her for her last moments. She was never remarried, she said she loved me too much, and since I was not actually dead, she remained faithful, sure she would see me again someday. I believe that is my greatest sin. She dreamt of a family, and a life with me, and I gave her neither." The Spirit said, as he bowed his head low in shame, but then he looked back up, his posture turning proud. "However, the good I have done, as a Spirit, has exceeded even my own expectations, and for that, I am truly happy."

Lucy wiped a small tear from the corner of her eye, "I'm sorry, Orion." She offered gently.

The spirit nodded, "You would do well to remember my tale, Lady Lucy. The Spirit King holds you in very high regards. If he offers you the chance, think about what you will have to give up first." The Spirit said, then he started to glow, "I shall return now, Cygnus shall appear shortly, to create a portal home." The Spirit said, is voice growing faint as his body returned.

Lucy turned to Laxus, who had a thoughtful look on his face, his eyes turned away from her, "Laxus?" Lucy asked, unnerved with how silent he was throughout the entire exchange.

Laxus turned to her and smiled, "So, a Celestial Spirit. Would you do it?" He asked, slightly more forceful than intended. But, they had only just begun to share their feelings with each other, and he wasn't ready to lose her, not the only woman who'd ever truly made him feel.

Lucy smiled, and shook her head, "Not unless I could take all of Fairy Tail with me, but then where would the world be?" She said with a laugh, then she looked up to him, her eyes shining bright, "Fairy Tail, and Magnolia, is my home. My friends are my family, you are my family. I'll never leave you." She promised.

Laxus smiled then, his face looking truly happy, "Good, I don't want to lose you, not when I just got you." He said, then he picked her up, lifting her till her head was even with his, and he laid his lips against hers, kissing her softly.

She smiled against his lips, then wrapped her arms more tightly around him, her lips eagerly responding to his, almost searching ones.

They stood there, lips interlocked, their minds and hearts beating together in perfect harmony, as they forgot everything else in the world, the only thing mattering to them was the fact that they were together. Until, once again, her Spirits interrupted, this time in the form of a Swan.

"I'm very sorry." Cygnus said, "But, I'm sure you'll be much more comfortable doing this at home?" He said, his voice had a light touch of humor to it.

Lucy blushed, and rested her head against Laxus shoulder, both mages turning to look at Cygnus, "Yes, you probably right." Lucy said with a smile.

Cygnus nodded, "So Laxus house... Oh, sorry, Sir Laxus house, is it?" He asked, this time the humor blatant.

Lucy laughed, while Laxus chuckled, "Hey, at least one of you guys know to show me some respect." He defended.

Cygnus nodded again, "Orion respects everyone. He is truly a wonderful addition to our ranks." Cygnus said, his voice full of reverential respect. Then he touched his beak against the pool of water, and the portal appeared.

Lucy and Laxus stepped through it, their bodies again falling on his large bed. Just as the portal was closing, they heard Cygnus voice echo, "See, much more comfortable." Followed by a laugh, cut off when the portal disappeared.

Lucy laughed lightly, while Laxus actually blushed, but it quickly faded as he smirked lecherously at her, "Hear that, got the spirits permission." He mumbled, as he pulled her now giggling body towards him.

His lips sealed over hers, his body hovering above her, as he laid kisses upon her, her face turning bright red with heat. But after a little while he pulled away, and smiled gently to the younger girl, his thumb trailing slowly over her cheek, "Dinner?" He asked, his voice soft and low.

Lucy nodded, smiling back at the man above her, then her stomach growling loudly as she remembered they hadn't eaten all day, causing him to raise his eyebrows and laugh as he walked out of the bedroom. With a slightly embarrassed laugh, Lucy sat up, bouncing her body across the bed, she stepped lightly to the floor, and followed after Laxus into the kitchen.

**Hope you all liked it! Let us know your thoughts:)**

**Deathsembrace.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Fairy Tail is by Hiro Mashima.**

**This chapter is by Summer.**

**Have fun reading it!**

In the kitchen, Lucy plopped down on one of the chairs, swinging her legs as she watched Laxus. He was hunting for food inside the refrigerator. A grumble came from his mouth. "Damn it, we don't have any more food left."

"Oh yeah, I was just about to tell you. We need to stock up on groceries." Lucy said, she walked over to join Laxus in front of the fridge. "We still have ice cream."

"More like a mouth-full left. You ate it all last time you were in the house." Laxus flicked her nose in mock anger.

"Let's go to the guild then, Mira can cook some food. Besides, we haven't been there together in a few days. Last time I was there, it was an emergency."

Laxus drew his lips together, he hated himself for leaving her that day. She could have been captured or killed while he was there sulking by himself. He had put her in danger, one of the only people he had ever let himself care for. Laxus wrapped an arm around Lucy, pulling her closer. "I'm sorry about that. I won't leave you again, I promise."

"I already forgave you." Lucy smiled softly, weaving her fingers into his.

"And to make up for it. I'll buy you dinner."

Lucy laughed as she went to get her keys and whip, the two walked out the door hand in hand towards their beloved guild. They were at ease around each other, in comfortable silence that they both enjoyed. Occasionally they shared small smiles as they walked. Lucy had never even thought, that out of all the members of the guild, she would be with Laxus, one of the strongest members of the guild. The guild would never believe it either.

Soon enough, the guild doors appeared in front of them. Laxus held the door for the celestial mage as she walked inside. It was good to be back at the guild after a long day. People stared at her as she dragged Laxus towards her team, and the Thunder God Tribe, Levy and Mira were also there.

"Hi guys!" Lucy waved cheerfully, Laxus stood behind her, his arms crossed.

"Lucy! We haven't seen you in a long time." Erza greeted. She scooted over so Lucy could sit down. Then she noticed the dragon slayer. "And Laxus too."

Mira raised an eyebrow suggestively. "So Lucy, how was your trips to get the new keys?"

Laxus could hear the tone Mira was using, a tone that said 'you better spill your secrets now'. With everything going on, he hadn't thought what the guild was going to think about their new relationship.

"It was great. We gathered a lot of new spirits." Lucy said, holding out her new diamond keys. "We dropped by to see you guys, but since Laxus doesn't have any more food left, we thought of going out to eat."

"There is one just down the road. It's pretty nice. I went there with a friend last time." Levy suggested.

Lucy smiled at the book worm in thanks, grabbing Laxus's hand, they walked out the guild, leaving behind many open mouths and shocked looks.

"Well, that was completely unexpected." Erza broke through the shocked silence that descended on the guild.

"No kidding."

Laxus and Lucy were seated at the restaurant, it was as Levy had said, but much more expensive than they had first thought. But hey, Lucy wasn't paying, so who cares? The two were at a round table, beside a large window overlooking the park. The waiter had already taken their order, now all they had to do was wait, Lucy rested her head on her arms, sneaking looks at Laxus while he was distracted, his blue-green eyes roamed around the room, his face solemn, thoughtful. She preferred guys like these, someone willing to listen and think, someone mature. The corners of her mouth twitched, and she fought back the urge to smile like an idiot.

"Ma'am?"

Lucy looked up, startle. A waitress was standing at their table, a platter of food in hand, with one hell of an annoyed look.

"I'm so sorry." The flustered mage leaned back to give the waitress space to put down the food.

"It's alright. Is there anything else you need? Any drinks, wine maybe?" The waitress asked, thought the questioned was meant to be for both to hear, the girl had angled her body towards Laxus, her voice filled with honey. Lucy frowned, the girl was flirting with the dragon slayer, her dragon slayer, might I add.

"No, there is nothing else we need. If I may say, could you please hurry up with the food, and stop pressing yourself against my boyfriend?" Lucy's voice was even, but even Laxus could hear the hard edge added to it.

Taking the warning, the waitress backed off, taking her serving tray and heading back into the kitchen, but not before giving Laxus a coy wink. Lucy could not believe the girl, how dare she just walk up to a male and just start flirting? Had the girl have no respect, no dignity?

Laxus watched amused as the celestial mage fumed. He was pretty sure that if this wasn't a public restaurant, she would have done better than Natsu at destroying this place. Lucy was one special girl, he would give her that.

Laxus couldn't help but tease. "Did I just hear you call me your boyfriend?"

"No I did n— Well, you are." Lucy glared, folding her arms.

"Yes, I am."

"Well, what are you staring at, go eat."

Laxus gave her a small smile, as both of them dug in. Soon, another waitress came to serve them the rest of their dinner. Lucy had to admit, despite the horrible service, their food was amazing, she needed to get their recipe on their pasta sauce, it was heavenly.

The two shared stories about their childhood and their adventures over dinner. It was easy to just lose herself in this moment.

"How did you know about Fairy Tail, from what I know, your house, no sorry, mansion was towns away." Laxus questioned.

"Well, I was on a carriage to see my father at work, and it got out of control. And this bunny lady saved me, I saw the sign on her hands, and it was the Fairy Tail sign. I thought if this lady was willing to jump on a moving carriage help me, then Fairy Tail must be an amazing place where people were caring and nice. And I wanted to be a part of that, somewhere where people actually called each other a real family." Lucy smiled.

Laxus stared at the girl in front of him, he was lucky, so lucky to have known Lucy. She had changed him in so many ways. He knew from the whispers at the guild that Lucy had a lonely childhood, to see that Lucy loved his family, and that she found happiness and love here, made his heart warm. Then his eyes met Lucy's, and he froze. The familiar flickering gold was there. Shit.

Apparently, Lucy had sensed it too, because she stood up, not able to control herself, and walked towards the door. "Laxus?" She called, her voice panicked.

The dragon slayer looked around, and found a waiter, "Here is the money for the dinner, thanks!" He rushed out the door to follow Lucy, ignoring the strange looks thrown after him.

"The change?" The waiter called.

"Keep it!"

Laxus cussed under his breath, oh almighty spirit king, would it kill to tell your spirits to mind their manners? He caught up to Lucy, who was already in full trance. The key must be close by. The lighting mage sighed, gone was their time together, and now they were on another trip to find another powerful spirit who might as well be another hot, blond boy.

The pair traveled through the streets, the crowd already cleared for home. Apparently, they were not the lucky pair who would be enjoying dinner. Lucy's feet led them to the center of town, towards Kardia Cathedral. Laxus's brow rose, why would a spirit be there?

Lucy pushed open the grand doors, and walked inside the dark building, the cathedral was not in service. The dragon slayer thought for a moment, pursing his lips, he made a small ball of lightning, somewhat like his lightning bullets. Laxus made another few, so it surrounded them, lighting their way.

The celestial mage continued walking up the stairs, and in a small door, Laxus identified it as the right tower of the church. The spiral stairs led upwards, one floor after another, until they reached the top.

Lucy eased the creaking door open. It seemed as if no one's been here for a long time. The thought disturbed Laxus, they could get ambushed here, and they don't know a thing about the interior design. It was one of those bell towers, that rang every hour or so.

In front of him, Lucy stopped, and wobbled slightly. The trance had snapped out of her as she neared the key, she blinked her eyes to get rid of the lingering drowsiness, they were in a dark room, save the ball of light in front of them, she couldn't see anything else. "Laxus?"

The dragon slayer looked at the girl, "Your awake. Good, cause I have no idea why we're here."

Lucy reached for Laxus's hand, clutching in tightly. "The key is here, I can feel it's very near. But we need to find it, and we need to see the entire room."

"This is going to be weird, so don't be freaked out, okay?" Laxus closed his eyes for a second, and his body started crackling, until he was covered head to toe with lightning. It was an efficient way to light up the room, Lucy could see as clearly as if it was daytime.

"Wow, didn't know lightning could do that. You look like one of those oversized candles they sell in the market, you're all bright. " Lucy commented, stifling a laugh.

"Shut up and look for the key, Blondie." Laxus growled.

The celestial mage looked around the room, until she sensed the key. Her eyes landed on the bells. They were suspended in air, with the floor beneath them open, and the drop was at least 5 floors. If someone fell in there, they would die.

The key was there, hooked at the base of the bell, dangling in the air. Lucy reached forward, trying to grasp the key, but her hands weren't long enough.

"I can't reach it."

"Use your whip." Laxus suggested.

Lucy sighed, why didn't she think of the obvious? Taking out her whip, she latched it onto the key, and pulled it back. The white key glinted almost gold in the flickering lightning. This key was beautiful.

Two wings fanned out on either sides of the top, with a detailed etch of a leaf in the middle. "It's the Phoenix!" Lucy exclaimed.

Laxus walked over, in his wake was the charred floorboards. "What does it do?"

"She is a healer. I wonder what her secondary powers are though." Lucy answered. "You think it's okay to summon it here?"

"I don't mind, I can sustain this for a long time."

"Of course you can." Lucy found a clear area in the small room, hoping that this spirit wasn't as big as Draco or Monoceros, and lifted the key. "Open, gates of the Healer, Phoenix."

A tinkling of a bell sounded as the magic circle flare to life. A petit, beautiful girl, wearing a green dress stood in front of them, on her head was a jasmine flower, in full bloom. On her back was glittering trails of red, Lucy squinted, and gasped in delight. A pair of almost invisible feathered wings adorned her back. She looked to be only 14 years of age. The first spirit Lucy's ever seen that was a child.

"Hello princess." The little girl did a small curtsy, smiling shyly. Phoenix reminded her of Wendy.

"Hi Phoenix. You are the healer?" Lucy asked.

"Yes, I can heal, and when I return back to the spirit world, I give you back the energy it took you to summon me." Phoenix said.

Lucy loved the little spirit, so far, she was the only girl in all of the diamond keys. Maybe she could introduce Phoenix to Wendy someday, they were so much alike. "I welcome you to our little family, Phoenix."

The little girl gave another small smile, before waving goodbye. She disappeared into the spirit realm, and as the healer had said, Lucy's magic returned to her. Lucy looked to Laxus, "We should probably leave, I don't think I really like this place."

Laxus nodded in agreement, changing his lightning back into a ball, he lead the way out. As he opened the door, his ears picked up on something. Lifting a hand, he motioned Lucy to stop. A shuffling of footsteps, just a few floors lower.

Not only one pair, but four.

**A cliffhanger! I was out camping, how many of you guys like it? We love seeing your reviews, they are awesome, we hope to see more of them! Thanks everyone, we love you tons.**

**~Summer**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen**

**Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail**

Laxus grit his teeth together and emit a lot growl. Those stupid mages that kept coming after them were getting annoying. They were weak, and barely worth the slight effort it took to defeat them, but he supposed it was good practice for the younger mage.

Turning his head slightly, he faced Lucy, who was regarding him with nervous curiosity, wondering what he had sensed or heard. "There's four people a couple floors down, on their way up. I'm assuming it's the ones after you. What do you want to do, fight or try and run?" he asked her, his blue eyes flashing in the dim light of his lightning.

Lucy frowned, then smirked. "Both. Turn off your lightning. Let's ambush them, since they're always trying to ambush us." she whispered excitedly.

Laxus let his lightning simmer away to nothing, and then when complete darkness enveloped them, he heard Lucy shift, and then the tell tale jingle of her keys.

"Sorry about this, Laxus, I know your not a huge fan, but who better to help in the darkness, but my Spirit who specializes in it." Lucy whispered quickly, her words drawing a frown to Laxus face as he realized who she was calling. "Open, Gate of the Crow, Corvus!" Lucy whispered quickly, as the footsteps drew ever closer.

Lucy's senses prickled as the drop in her magic signified the arrival of her spirit, though not a drop of noise occurred. She looked around in the dark for him, but it was useless. The darkness was so complete she couldn't even see her hand in front of her face. "Corvus?" Lucy whispered quietly.

"Here, Princess." Corvus murmured, right beside her ear, as he laid a chill hand on her shoulder. Lucy fought the urge to scream and jump, and settled for elbowing in the direction she thought the Spirit to be.

A second later she heard Laxus grunt, "What the hell, Blondie, what was that for?" he growled low.

Lucy frowned, "Sorry. Didn't mean too." she whispered, glaring at the dark, assuming Corvus would see it, her assumption being correct as she heard him chuckle, now on the opposite side of where he had touched. "Corvus, stop playing around. Their's four mages on their way up to get us. Can you make us invisible?" Lucy whispered.

"Of course Princess. I'll need to touch you both for it to work." he murmured, as he laid his hand again on her shoulder, and a slight hiss from Laxus told her he was now being held onto as well.

"What now?" Laxus asked, wondering what the girls plan was.

Lucy smiled, "Now we wait. When they walk past us, they'll see the room empty, turn to leave and let down their guard, we'll attack then."

Laxus frowned, "I don't know why we have to hide, they're easy enough to beat, why wait?"

Lucy pouted, "I don't know. This is more fun. Plus, it's cool to be invisible. Oh, the fun things we could do!" she muttered back, her voice turning slightly evil towards the end. She heard Laxus sigh, and Corvus chuckle again.

"Indeed, there are many fun things to do in the dark, my Princessss. Oh, the trouble we could get into... if only you weren't dating this lightning thrower beside you." Corvus hissed, distaste prominent on his tongue as he all but spat the word lightning out.

Laxus growled low, the action seeming even more menacing when enunciated by the darkness. "Watch it beak face." Laxus muttered.

Corvus hissed in laughter, while Lucy shook her head at the boys. Then, hearing a footfall, she tensed, laying a hand on Corvus leg, while reaching with the other to grip Laxus coat. She was fairly certain her heartbeat could be heard all throughout Magnolia, though it beat not from fright, but out of nervous excitement.

She sensed movement from Corvus, as he shifted closer to her, their bodies now pressed together, while he also gave her shoulder a light squeeze, showing his own excitement in her little plan. "Here they come." he whispered, his voice barely able to be heard, as his beak brushed delicately against her ear, causing Lucy to blush slightly at the proximity.

A moment later four mages came walking stealthily into the room. Though Laxus and Lucy could only hear them, Corvus could see as clearly as if it were the full light of day. He immediately recognized the fire mage, and the shadow mage, though the others were new to him. He watched as the shadow mage frowned, and then look shocked, as he realized his target wasn't in the room.

"Lucy Heartfilia is not here." he seemed to murmur to himself.

"The lightning man was here a few minutes ago. Lucy Heartfilia is always with him. They could not have gotten far. Let's search." one of the new ones spoke, their low monotone echoing lifelessly in the tower.

As one the four mages turned to leave the room. Just as they were going by the invisible mages, Lucy nodded. Corvus stood, and in one swift motion, a ball of dark energy appeared in his hands. He cast it at the four mages in front of him, and as it flew towards them, it expanded, till it was large enough to envelope them all.

Lucy heard the sound of shuffling and then a loud thump, and she wished she was able to see what was happening, but it was just too dark. "Laxus. Light." she whispered.

Lightning lit the room a second later, and Lucy gasped. The four mages were caught up in a ball of darkness, much like Juvia's waterlock. Corvus was standing in front of it, his hand held out, as the darkness tightened in on itself, forcing the mages to be squished together. Then, Corvus flicked his hand, and the darkness exploded. With force, the four mages were flung to opposite corners of the room, every single one unconscious.

A long moment passed, and then the shadows bunched around each of the mages, taking them back to where they came from. Corvus walked quickly over to where one of the shadows still lingered, his wings rustling as they outstretched, balancing him as he crouched down. With a look of intense concentration on his face, he touched it, his hand seeming to merge with the tendril of the shadow. Lucy felt an immediate drop in power, as whatever he did took effect.

A moment later, he smiled, stood up, and crossed the room to Lucy. Leaning down, he gently helped her to her feet, ignoring the glare from Laxus for touching his woman. "Princessss, sorry for the drop in power. Draco wanted to make sure Kuro was still at the same place as before. Since the time is nearing when we will have to search him out." he explained.

Lucy nodded, "No problem, do whatever you need to do. Is he still there?" she asked.

The Spirit nodded, "Yess."

Lucy smiled grimly, "Good. Thanks for your help, Corvus." she said, her smile turning warmer, as she gave her Spirit an appreciative look.

Corvus blinked his eyes, and then his hand lifted to his face. He wrapped his fingers around his beak, and pulled. Lucy's eyes widened, as the she realized that the lower shell like half of his face, with the protuding beak, was just a mask. Now, a strong jawed man, with pale, slightly tinged black lips, gazed at her with loyalty. "Anything for you, my Princessss." He whispered, he bowed forward slightly, his chill hand grasped hers, and brought it to his lips, where he laid a gentle kiss upon it.

Laxus snarled, and shot up from his still kneeling position. Corvus quickly straigtened, replaced his mask, and disappeared in a swirl of shadows, leaving Lucy with her now seriously annoyed boyfriend.

"Laxus, calm down. He was just being respectful. All of the Spirits are like that, remember Loke, and Orion. They're immortal, a lot of their ways are old fashioned." Lucy tried to explain, while Laxus frowned at the spot where Corvus disappeared. "The kissing of the hand, is just a way of greeting, or saying good bye. Remember what Cygnus said, that Corvus is really devoted, and will protect me, and even after I die, seek vengeance for me. He wouldn't do anything to make me unhappy, and since he knows you make me happy, he won't take me from you. He was just provoking you, because that's who he is. A little dark on the inside, but still good. Okay?" Lucy said, trying to get her point across.

Laxus sighed, and frowned, "I just don't like him. He annoys me. I don't care if he is your spirit, he keeps pushing at me like that, and I'm gonna shock him." Laxus said, his voice threatening, as his lightning started crackling more powerfully, lighting the room up further.

"Laxus Dreyar!" Lucy reprimanded, a scowl dominating her features, "Don't you even dare threaten my spirits. He is bound to serve and protect me, and I won't have you hurting him out of pointless jealousy. I really like you Laxus, but you need to be able to handle my relationships with my Spirits, even the flirty ones. I just told you that they would never cross the line with me, so relax." she order, glaring at the man.

Laxus watched her for a long moment, and then finally, the lightning dimmed back down, and his shoulder's slumped. "Fine. Sorry." he muttered.

Lucy sighed, and walked forward, placing her hand gently on his arm. "Laxus. I understand why your jealous, frankly, if the positions were reversed, I'd be just as annoyed as you, but there's nothing you or I can do about it. I like that my Spirits can be themselves with me, and not be afraid of the consequences. I've told you about Angel, and Karen. It's not often that Spirits get a good owner, one who loves them, even if they do make my life a little more troublesome. Anyway, they're just my friends. Your so much more to me then that." she said, her eyes winking up at him flirtatiously at the end.

Laxus smiled, and then leaned down, kissing the blonde, who responded eagerly, wrapping her arms around the man. Breaking away, she again looked at him, "See, your the only man who I'd ever let kiss me like that, so be happy. And take me home." she added, raising her eyebrows at him suggestively.

Laxus smirked, and took her hand, leading her quickly out of the building, through the town,and onto the path to his house, slowing down only when his place was in sight. "Think we'll have to go out again tomorrow?" he asked.

Lucy shrugged, "Most likely. Don't worry though, this won't forever. Soon we'll finish collecting the keys, take on Kuro, and then we can relax and enjoy each other." Lucy promised, looking up at Laxus and smiling.

Laxus grinned back, "Oh, I think we can enjoy each other right now." he said, twisting around, and lifting Lucy into his arms, her legs wrapping around his waist, as he pressed her back into a tree, his mouth quickly finding hers.

Lucy grasped his shoulders tightly, as his tongue swept against hers, eliciting low sounds of enjoyment from her. His hands reached down to her hips, holding her in place, as he moved his lips from her mouth to her throat, placing wet kisses down the exposed areas of her chest, throat and shoulders.

After a few breathless minutes, Lucy began squirming against him, needing more than what she was getting, opening her mouth, she murmured, "Laxus, can we take this inside?"

The blonde male pulled away, looked at her for a moment, and then grinned and nodded, "Sure thing, Blondie." he muttered back, in a husky tone.

Still holding onto her, he shifted one hand up to support her back, as he turned around, and carried her back to the house. His lips again met hers, as he pushed her roughly against the door to his house, their mouths moving together frantically while he fumbled with the lock. A moment later and the door opened behind her. He quickly placed his arm around her, as he stepped inside, not once breaking their passionate kiss, as he slammed the door shut behind them.

* * *

The next morning, Lucy woke up to the smell of bacon and eggs. Yawning, she sat up and stretched, wincing at a soreness in her legs. With a light blush, she recalled the events of last night, and the reason for her soreness. Smiling wryly, she realized that Laxus had many reasons to be so self confident and cocky.

Wrapping the sheets tightly around her naked body, Lucy walked across the room, picked up her bag, and then headed for the bathroom for a shower. When she was finished, she dressed hurriedly, knowing she most likely had only a short time to eat before going into a trance.

Rushing out to the kitchen, she found Laxus sitting at the table, his plate already empty, and hers waiting for her. She smiled slightly nervously to him, but when he smiled back at her, his face and eyes lighting up as he watched her, the nervousness went away.

Grabbing her plate, she walked around the table, and sat in his lap, giving him a quick kiss before digging into her breakfast. Laxus, surprised by her actions, could only smile, as he wrapped an arm around her waist, and held her there as she ate. She had just finished, and he was just about to give her a real good morning kiss, when her eyes flickered once, before changing to gold.

With a frown and a sigh, Laxus let his arms drop. He watched as the blonde glided up from his lap, and started for the door. Standing up, he tossed their dirty dishes in the sink, grabbed his and Lucy's packs, and then left the house, locking the door behind him. He followed quickly after Lucy, who was just passing out of the clearing into the trees.

When he reached her, he fell into step beside her. His eyes glanced down at her face, ignoring the gold glowing eyes, and instead focusing on the fact, that even in the trance, she had a soft happy expression. He had been worried when he woke up that she would regret their actions last night. But, when she had woken and their had been no screaming or freak out, and then she had simply smiled and sat on his lap, he knew that all was okay, and that she was happy. And if she was happy, he was happy. After all, what man wouldn't be happy, after having a night like that.

**Hope you guys liked it.**

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**Deathsembrace. **


	20. Chapter 20

**Fairy Tail is by Hiro Mashima**

**This chapter is from Summer, and it is summer.**

**I hope you have fun reading!**

It was a little after noon, the sun bearing down on the pair as they trekked through the undergrowth. Laxus was getting overheated, not to mention hungry. Who knew it could be so hot in the late spring? They'd been walking for most of the morning without taking a break, and the trees weren't doing a very good job to shade them from the sun's rays. Laxus wiped sweat from his brows, and glanced over at the celestial mage. Lucy was stumbling a little as she walked, showing signs of fatigue, but the trance wouldn't let her stop. He only hoped that the key was close, before the girl wore herself out too much.

The dragon slayer looked around; they were approaching the mountains where Macao took the reckless mission. In the spring time, the snow melted, leaving the path wet and dangerous to walk on. One misstep and they would slip on the mud, and fall. Laxus reached into his bag, and pulled out a sandwich, and took a bite out of it. He couldn't help but wonder which key Lucy would be in possession of next. She had already gathered 6 of them, and there still seemed to be more.

The nearing mountains snapped Laxus out of his thought, Lucy started towards the path spiraling up to the top. The steps made a vague shape of stairs, making it easier for the two to climb. They walked up, following the steps. He had to say, the entire trip was extremely uneventful, he had hoped that Lucy would be awake for the first half of the journey so they could talk.

"Lucy, are we close yet?" Laxus asked, hoping she could hear him, though she made no replies.

"Well, when we get home, I want to take you on a date." They haven't been on a proper date yet, and Laxus was determined to take her out. He had thought of a plan during their hike up the mountain.

Taking the last step, the dragon slayer made out a flat plane, boulders surrounded the edges. Lucy walked towards the stone placed direct north, and knelt down, the trance left her in a daze. She smiled and turned around, her eyes returning back to brown orbs. "Did you mean what you said? That you'd take me out on a date?"

Laxus smirked, "Well, you are living with me, and we've done everything. Why not?"

Lucy laughed, blushing as she turned back towards the rock. Placing her palms flat at the base, she felt around until she found a large crack, and reached inside. When she pulled out, she held another diamond key in her hands.

"Yes, it's Pegasus!" Lucy exclaimed. She showed it to Laxus, who nodded in appreciation. Two large feathers expanded outwards, while smaller feathers wrapped around the key. It glinted more transparent than the other diamond keys, faint multicolored swirls decorated the key.

"Does that mean we can fly home?" Laxus asked, glancing at the steps back down and the forest that lay between them and the town.

Lucy nodded excitedly. Holding the key above her head, she slashed it down in a wide arc. "Open, Gate of the Winged Horse, Pegasus!"

The wind blew around Lucy, forming a whirlwind as Pegasus appeared. He looked like a battle stallion, with the addition of wings. They flared out, spanning longer than the length of his body, they were pure white, and like the key, they held a multicolored glow.

He shook his mane, and whinnied, approaching Lucy with curious eyes. She held out a hand and patted Pegasus, stroking his snow white mane. "You're beautiful."

"Thank you, Princess." Pegasus bowed his head. "I can fly, as well as control wind to some degree and attack with it."

"That is handy. I've always wanted to fly. The few times exceeds fly me, they either drop me, or I get insulted while I'm flying, so that doesn't count." Lucy smiled at Pegasus. "If you don't mind, could you fly us home right now?"

The spirit nodded, and knelt down so the two could get on. Laxus helped Lucy up, and got on himself. He held Lucy by the waist, securing her against him, pressing a kiss on her neck. "You have amazing spirits. Just proves that my woman is amazing."

Lucy smiled, leaning back against the dragon slayer's chest. "Ready when you are, Pegasus."

The spirit expanded his wings, and leapt into the air. His wings worked, beating powerful strokes as they ascended. Lucy gasped in delight. They skimmed the top of the trees, the leaves brushing her legs. Pegasus flew upwards, gaining speed. The wind rushed against her face, messing up her hair. All her thoughts disappeared as she enjoyed this moment, flying in the sky.

All too soon, they landed in front of the guild, attracting many onlookers as they stared in amazement. Both mages hopped off, Lucy thanked the horse, promising an apple next time they met, Pegasus disappeared into the spirit realm.

"Well, that was fun!" Lucy exclaimed. "Now are you going to hold your promise of a date? Because the sun hasn't set yet."

"Yep, but first we need to stop at the guild. I need to get something." Laxus led the way into the guild hall. The merry atmosphere ever present in Fairy Tail gave Lucy a welcome. After all this drama, they needed to go to the guild more often. The lighting mage led them over to the bar, where Mira was wiping a glass cup. The barmaid looked up as they walked over.

"Mira, I need the basket you packed." Laxus said. Lucy looked at him questionably.

"Oh! Wait, let me get it for you." Mira disappeared into the kitchen, and returned with a woven basket, and a blanket on top. "Good luck!" She winked.

Lucy peaked inside, it was filled with food. She looked at Laxus, her eyes sparkling. "You planned it! I could kiss you right now."

"You could if you want. I don't mind." He smirked.

"Nah, it can wait. So where are we going?"

"Somewhere special."

Laxus took her hands as they walked out the guild, leading the way towards the forest around his house. They walked past his place, going further into the woods, until the trees thinned out, and the forest floor became rocky.

To Lucy's surprise, the forest cleared to a rocky cliff, the rocks large but flat. Lucy could hear the water crashing onto the rocks below them, the ocean breeze was cool and refreshing. It was a perfect spot. "This is amazing, Laxus. How'd you know it was here?"

"I come here to think, and to get away from everyone else." He gestured for her to sit down, and opened the basket. "Next time I run off, you know where to find me."

"Hopefully, you won't run off." Lucy looked at him, her eyes teasing.

"Hopefully I won't." He held her gaze.

Lucy smiled, and dug into the basket, pulling out two sandwiches, she handed one to Laxus. They ate in peaceful silence, looking out into the ocean. She could see the faint outline of their guild across the water. The sun was dropping from the sky slowly.

"Laxus, do you think Kuro feels any regrets about using all these people for the sake of reviving his wife?"

The lightning mage hummed, "If he loves his wife the way Cygnus said he does, I imagine he will do anything to get her back. He will one day regret it, but not now."

Lucy looked over at Laxus, the setting sun casting shadows over his face. "I'm going to stop him." She said firmly. "His wife will be disappointed at him. And he will be too. I don't want that to happen."

"And that is why I love you." The dragon slayer said. He leaned over and pressed his lips to hers.

* * *

Wendy walked down the path to the Fairy dorms, lugging her suitcase behind her. The mission was a success, and she got a big award. She wondered where Carla went, the exceed disappeared with Happy and Lili, they said something about 'exceed squads'. The small dragon slayer thought about her bed, excited to get home from the long travel.

She sniffed the air, smelling something out of place, like musk and ashes. Wendy halted in her steps. Scanning her surroundings, she tensed for danger. Out of nowhere, shadows appeared at her feet, Wendy let out a piecing scream before she dropped into the bottomless shadow. Her suitcase left on the path.

**Poor Wendy. I do hope she is okay for the while. Keep up the reviews! They are an absolute encouragement. We really do love you guys. **

**~It is Summer! **


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty one**

**Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail**

Wendy woke with a headache buzzing in her head. Opening her eyes, she saw only darkness, thick, impenetrable darkness. Groaning with discomfort, she tried to shift her hand up to her face in an attempt to heal her headache, but stopped short when her hand refused to budge. Flexing both her wrists, she gasped, as she realized she was bound, her hands clasped together tightly behind her back.

Wendy quickly rolled over so that she wasn't lying on them, and as she did, sighed in relief when she realized her legs were not bound. She could definitely work with this. Stretching her arms, she slid her but over them, and then her legs, contorting her body so that her arms would end up in front of her. Then, she quickly raised the rope to her sharpened teeth, and starting chewing through it.

Once the rope dropped free, Wendy stretched her arms, and then quickly rose her hand to her head, healing her headache so she could think more clearly. Sighing in relief once the ache was away, Wendy stood to her feet, raising her hands in front of her as she felt around for something to determine where she was.

Walking forward a few steps, her hands touched the cold hardness of a cement wall. Gulping quietly, she began walking towards the right. Hitting another cement wall, she continued on, until finally, she came to a barred door. Testing the strength, she pushed herself against it, but it didn't budge. Growling in frustration, hating to be trapped and caged, the dragon in her reared to come out.

Pushing down her raging instincts for the moment, Wendy moved to the sides of the door, where she trailed her hands down, searching for the hinges. She found two on one side, and then where the door locked and latched on the other side. All of them was made of solid steel.

Sighing in frustration, Wendy found herself wishing desperately she was Natsu or Gajeel. Both of them would be strong enough to either melt, eat, or even destroy and blast out of this cell. Sitting down, she curled her legs to her chest, as she began thinking of her older dragon slayer brothers, how strong they were, how they could get themselves out of almost anything, defeat almost anyone. She wished she were more like them.

As she sat there thinking about them, she was suddenly hit with an epiphany. Both the elder slayers were so strong, or became so strong, because they never gave up. And here she was sitting and crying.

Jumping to her feet, Wendy faced the direction she knew the door to be in. Growling lightly at it, she took a deep breath, and then roared. She heard the sound of wind rushing, metal shaking, and cement crumbling, and then finally, nothing.

Moving forward, she checked the door. Still there. Growling again, Wendy submerged herself into her dragon instincts, allowing the rage inside her to build, the desperation at being caged to seep into her strength, then she sucked in, continuing until all the air in the room seemed to be in her mouth, then, she roared. Her voice screaming into the wind rushing from her mouth.

Her sky roar rushed outwards, billowing through the cell, slamming and rattling the door against the concrete, until finally, the concrete crumbled, the gate twisting and smashing off the hinges. With a deep sigh, Wendy finished her roar.

Moving forward, she again assessed her damage, smiling in pride when she realized it worked. Knowing whomever captured her would likely have heard the noise, she quickly stepped over the bent steel, and then, with one hand on the wall to guide her, took off in the direction her nose was telling her smelt like fresh air.

* * *

"Lucy! Laxus!" Jet called, as he sped into the clearing of Laxus house.

Lucy was just getting ready to crawl into bed, hurried through the house to the door, and pulled it open. "Jet?" she asked, crossing her arms over her pajamaed body.

"Lucy! Master wants you and Laxus at the guild, as soon as possible. He's called a meeting. We think Wendy got taken by that guy whose after you. No one's seen her since yesterday, and Carla has no idea where she could be." Jet explained in a rush.

Lucy frowned and nodded, "We'll meet you there. I'l go tell Laxus, thanks Jet." she said, shutting the door as she went to tell Laxus, who was in the shower.

Walking up to the bathroom door, she knocked and then poked her head inside. Laxus dripping head popped out of the shower curtain, and he looked at her questioningly, "What's up? Wanna join me?" he asked, grinning towards her. Then he noticed Lucy's worried look, and turned off the shower, reaching for his towel as he stepped out. "Lucy, what's wrong?" he asked, as he wrapped the towel around his waist.

"Master wants us at the guild. Wendy was taken." Lucy said, bitting her lip as she inwardly fretted. Worried over what could possibly be happening to Wendy, and how frightened the girl probably was. Thinking logically, she knew that Wendy was most likely okay, at least for now, since the healing part wouldn't come into play until after he managed to catch Lucy, but still, it worried her.

Laxus looked shocked for a moment, and then pissed. "What the hell. How did they catch her? We told Gramps to keep her protected!" he growled as he pushed past Lucy, and into the bedroom, throwing on his clothes in a hurry.

Lucy quickly followed him, grabbing her own clothes, and redressing into them, then as Laxus was heading for the door, she stopped him, instead pulling out Cygnus' key.

Once Laxus and Lucy were transported to the guild, beating even Jet, and for once, landing in upright, normal positions, Master quickly ushered them into his office. "I take it Jet told you what happened?" Master asked.

Lucy nodded, "Yes, what can we do?" Lucy asked.

Master shook his head, "The two of you will continue gathering your keys. However, we need to know where Kuro is. I'm going to have a team start out for his location, and keep an eye things. Once you find the rest of the keys, you will meet up with them." Master explained.

Lucy nodded her head, "In that case, let me call Corvus." Lucy said, pulling out the key of her Crow Spirit.

Once he appeared, Lucy gestured towards Macarov, "Corvus, this is my guildmaster, Master Macarov, and Laxus grandfather. One of our members, a young dragon slayer, was taken by Kuro. He sending a team out to keep an eye on things, and needs to know Kuro's location. Laxus and I will meet the team there after I've finished finding the keys." Lucy explained to the Spirit standing stoic beside her, his eyes glued to her face as he listened to her speak.

As she finished, Corvus turned to Macarov. "Do you have a map?" he asked, his voice floating across the room.

Macarov reached into a drawer and pulled out a map, spreading it out over his desk, "Laxus, call Erza and Gajeel in here." he said.

After Laxus complied and the two requested mages entered, both sending inquisitive looks at the new spirit, Corvus motioned to the map. With his nail, he drew a dark path, starting from the Guild, and leading out over the mountains.

"Right here." he stated. "And, be careful. He has many who have been enforced into his servitude. The closer you get, the stronger they'll be." Corvus stated, his beady eyes, flashing from Erza to Gajeel. "Princess, you have two more keys left to gather, so the time will be soon when you go after Kuro. I don't want you worrying about your young friend. Would you like me to attempt to find her? I will do it of my own power." the crow asked.

Lucy's mouth dropped, and then snapped closed, "You can do this? Is it allowed?" she asked, her eyes hopeful.

The crow shrugged, "We diamond keys are at times above the rules the Spirit King lays out. I shall travel the shadows to find your friend. I will also let Cygnus know to have the other keys reach for you. Stay safe, my Princess." he murmured, as he disappeared with a bow.

Erza glanced Lucy, "Nice spirit, Lucy." she said, seeming surprised, then she looked towards Macarov, "Should we still go?" she asked.

Master nodded, "Yes, just in case Corvus fails, and that way Lucy and Laxus will have back up when the time to take down Kuro comes. Now, you two head out, along with Gray and Natsu. Make sure to stop by Lamia Scale, Jura feels it's his duty to accompany you, as Lyon was from his guild. Stay safe, my children." Master said, looking at Gajeel and Erza with a grim smile.

The two mages nodded and departed, and about a moment after they left, Lucy gasped, her eyes flashing to gold as she felt the new key take over her with force. Before Laxus could groan or roll his eyes, Lucy had burst out the room, shoving both Gajeel and Erza aside as she ran towards the guild of the door.

Laxus quickly ran after her, mumbling a quick sorry as he passed Gajeel and Erza, and then rushing out onto the street, his eyes just catching her fading figure as she whipped down an alley. He caught up to her within a few moments, and then slowed his pace, matching the girl.

"Damn spirits." He muttered as he jogged beside her. "Why can't Cygnus just portal us there?" he mumbled to himself as he watched Lucy stumble over a loose cobblestone.

About a second after he spoke, the cobbles a few feet in front of them rippled, turning into a portal. Laxus gasped, and tried to reach out to hold onto Lucy, but it was too late, she ran, stumbling, and falling into the portal like it was a hole in the ground.

Laxus groaned as he fell into the hole right behind her, the fast chilled rushing sensation rolling his stomach and making him want to puke, but a second later, and he was through, landing heavily on Lucy's legs.

"Ow!" Lucy cried out, as she tried to wiggle out from under Laxus.

"Damn. Sorry Lucy." Laxus grunted, as he slid off of her, standing up to help her to her feet.

"What happened?" Lucy asked, as she cast her eyes around, looking for the key.

"Spirits. I complained, and Cygnus opened a portal." Laxus explained shortly.

Lucy laughed, "Hm, I'm honestly surprised they even listen to you. Your even able to call them out, though using their power, not you own. Must be because they know how I feel about you." she said, as she dropped to the ground, her hands searching around some rocks.

A moment later she yelled, "Aha!" and pulled her hand back, with a shiny diamond key sparkling in the moonlight sitting in her palm.

After examining it, she frowned, "I think it's Ursa Major, the Great Bear." she mumbled, "The lighting's a little bad though, can you light your hand for a second?" she asked.

Laxus bent forward, lightning crackled up his arm, settling in a ball around his hand, "Better?" he asked.

Lucy smiled, and nodded. "Yup, thanks. It's definitely Ursa Major."

With that figured out, Lucy stood up, thrusting the key forward, "Open, Gate of the Great Bear, Ursa Major!" Lucy yelled, bright light flaring around her as her magic flowed.

An instant later an overly large polar bear, wearing frost covered metal plated armor appeared in front of her, it's very presence causing the air around it to freeze, and turn cloudy.

"Princess." The bear rumbled, his voice low and deep, as he bent a single knee in a half bow.

"Hello Ursa Major." Lucy said with a smile, "I'm gonna guess that you use ice magic?" she asked next, smiling as the bear nodded.

"Yes, ice and snow. My secondary ability is being able to perform strong physical attacks. I hope I will be able to contribute to your safety and strength." the bear growled toward Lucy.

Lucy nodded her head, "Your already have, thank you Ursa. You can head back now." Lucy said to the spirit.

The Spirit nodded, but before leaving, dropped a bag at his feet, "A tent, Princess. Cygnus would like you to camp for the night, and he'll teleport you to the next key in the morning. He says to say that you're safe from attacks for tonight, and to relax and regain your magical power." the bear told her, before fading away to the Spirit World.

Lucy sighed when he left, "Well, I guess that means tomorrow we finish, and then set out for Kuro." she said, looking towards Laxus with apprehension in her eyes.

Laxus nodded, and stepped towards her, "It'll be okay Lucy. We have Natsu, Gajeel, Gray, Jura, and Erza, not to mention me, and you and your Spirits. No enemy can stand a chance against us. I'll keep you safe." he promised.

Lucy nodded, "Thank you, Laxus." she murmured, before sighing again, as she walked towards the pack Ursa had left.

**And here it is! This update took a little longer, and the others might as well, because Summer is out of the country visiting relatives for a month. She'll still update, but family first:) Let's all wish her a safe trip back!**

**Let me know what you thought of the chapter. We're almost on to confronting Kuro!**

**Deathsmembrace. **


	22. Chapter 22

**Fairy Tail is by Hiro Mashima**

**This chapter is by Summer**

**The last key arrives, enjoy!**

After the tent was set up, the pair settled down around the fire Laxus had lit. Lucy was curled against the lightning mage, staring off into the fire. She was still worried about Wendy and Corvus, not to mention the team that was sent out. It felt strange to sit around while everyone else was working hard, she wanted to help. Lucy shifted around, letting out a sigh.

"Lucy, stop fretting." Laxus could sense her worry and frustration, he felt it too. "You need to trust the team, and rest up before tomorrow. Sleep, okay?"

Lucy nodded, burying her head in the dragon slayer's chest. "Goodnight Laxus."

Lifting her up, he mumbled a 'night' and carried her into the tent.

* * *

The blue haired girl stood still, listening for any sound of footsteps, before continuing silently in the dark tunnel. The dark was unnerving for the young dragon slayer, shadows seemed to come alive. The path ways twisted and turned, till Wendy had stopped keeping track of where she was going, the only thing she knew was that she was getting closer to fresh air. Every sound made her jump.

Wendy was frightened, she was alone in this dark tunnel, with no idea where she was. Fairy Tail will be coming soon, she told her self, they won't desert you. These words were the only thing that stopped her from breaking down. Wendy sent out small wisps of wind, so she could hear them echo off the area, alerting her of anything ahead. Turning around another corridor, she scanned her surroundings. She made out a large area, a cave maybe? Shadows seemed to be everywhere she went, twisting and moving around her.

Out of the corner of her eyes, one particular patch of shadow moved closer, wavering before rising up, splitting up, they circled her. Wendy tensed up, she was surrounded, her eyes glued to the exit of the cave, directly across from her. She called wind to her hands, poised to battle herself out of the situation. The shadows rose into the form of four people, their ashen face and glazed over eyes. "Wendy Marvell, sacrifice, we are here to bring you back."

It was four against one. There was no one to get her out of this now, Wendy was determined. She would show them what Fairy Tail was made of. Raising her arms, she let out her magic. "Arms, Armor, Venir!"

The dragon slayer felt her magic power rise, leaping off her feet, she flew towards them. Sucking in a breath, she aimed it towards the first mage, and let it out, "Sky dragon's roar!" successfully knocking him down.

Looking behind her, she was met with a unison raid of fire and air. Wendy leapt out of the way, and raised her arms, "Sky dragon's wing attack" followed by 'sky dragon's crushing fang". The dragon slayer could feel her magic lowering, dropping back to the ground, panting. There was one last person left, he was the one that stood while the other three were fighting. Wendy could sense it, he was the powerful one, maybe she shouldn't have used so much magic before, because she regretted it now. These people were stronger than she thought.

Facing the last mage, she readied her remaining power.

The ashen faced mage attacked first, ice made animals knocked her off her feet, she skidded before stopping, wincing at the scraps. The floor was rough. The male did not wait for her to get up, he raised his own arms, "Ice make: Dragon." Wendy's eyes widened as she looked at the animal. Its figure teased the edge of her memories, she had seen it somewhere.

She knew this person, even if she didn't recognize him now, she didn't want to attack him. And he was so much stronger than her. Panic rose within her, but she forced it down, she couldn't depend on her elderly dragon slayer brothers forever either. Pulling herself on her feet, she looked determined at the mage, for a second, she caught a glimmer of emotion, but it disappeared so quick she wondered if she imagined it.

Sucking in all the air she could get, she put all her magic into the attack. One thought flittered in her mind, Grandeeney help me. "Sky dragon's Roar plus Cure!" As the tornado like attack flew out, Wendy hoped that it will help the mage, that was her specialty after all, to help those who were ill. Natsu, Gajeel, Lucy, Erza, all her friends, Erigor, even the tornado she met in the desert, she helped them all. This person was no different.

As the last of the attack died down, she rushed over to the mage, his ashen look was fading, replaced by a healthy parlor. Wendy hovered her hands over his still form, healing and giving him energy with the soft glow of her magic. The mage's eyelids began to flutter, before opening his eyes. Wendy gasped. It was Lyon from Lamia Scales.

He sat up, his body tense as he scanned his surroundings, before landing his coal black eyes on Wendy. His eyes lit up in reorganization. "You're from Fairy Tail."

"Yes, my name is Wendy. Do you remember anything?"

"I was coming back from a mission, then I was falling, everything was black afterwards. Where are we?"

"I don't know either. I got here the same way, but I escaped my cell."

"Well, thank you for waking me up. I appreciate it. It seems like I own Fairy Tail." Lyon's tone was brisk, but there was warmth in his eyes.

Wendy smiled, "It's what I do, it's what Fairy Tail does. We must get out now. People will be coming."

He nodded. Wendy lead the way, her nose followed the fresh air trail. Their footsteps echoed much louder than Wendy would have liked. But thankfully, they did not meet up with any more mages. It was unnervingly quiet.

"It's unusually quiet." Lyon whispered to her. Wendy was just about to nodded, when the cave exploded.

Towering shadows flew from every corner, as blank faced mages stepped out, ready to strike. They were surrounded.

"Yep, and that's what I mean by too quiet." Lyon said. Both mages stood back to back. They were both worn out from the fight before, not much magic was left. But they had to get out of this.

"Arms, armor, Venir." Wendy chanted. For Lyon, this was something he had never seen before, but he had no time, for the first attack was coming. All around them, shadows sprung, wrapping tightly around their arms and legs. Wendy shot out blades of wind, cutting lose their bonds. Lyon put out his hands, releasing a chilling air to the room.

"Ice make: Dragon, Tiger, Wolf." Three great beasts appeared at their side, before charging at the controlled mages. Many were hit, disappearing into the shadows, but more came to take their place.

"Sky dragon's wing attack." Wendy spun, hitting the shadows that came their way.

"Ice make eagle."

"Sky dragon's roar!" They created a unison raid. The whole cave shook as the attack hit the mages. When the attack died out, the first wave was down. Lyon and Wendy dropped to the ground in exhaustion. Suddenly, Wendy's ears pick up a noise, spinning her head around, but it was too late. A gust of wind knocked her down, hitting her head on the hard floor. The last thing she registered was Lyon's frantic shaking.

* * *

Next morning, Lucy got up from a fitful sleep to a pounding echo in her head. Wearily, she woke Laxus and they quickly packed everything. Both were tense, this was the last key, then they would have to face Kuro, and get back Wendy. Lucy could see the light coat of lightning around the dragon slayer, and the tumbling thoughts of all her spirits.

Lucy took out the transparent key with the swan, and called out Cygnus.

"Good morning Princess. Are you ready?"

Lucy's gaze held determination. "Yes. Bring us to the last key please, Cygnus." With a nod, the spirit dipped his beak, and the portal appeared.

"All the spirits wish you good luck, we will always be with you." With a last bow, he gestured with his beak, and they stepped through.

Lucy held tight to Laxus's hand as they fell through the portal. She was nervous about the defiantly upcoming battle, for her spirits as well as for her life. It was a big comfort to know that Laxus is there, and all her guild mates. Though she couldn't shake off the feeling that she was putting everyone she loved in danger.

"We are not in danger because of you, we want to help you and your spirits." Lucy looked surprised as Laxus said that. The lightning mage smirked. "Your expression is a dead giveaway you know? You and your weird faces." Lucy let out a giggle. She was grateful for Laxus, she absolutely loves love this guy.

The portal dropped them off at the bottom of a valley, a small path of water cut across both mountains. She felt the key calling for her immediately, and walked towards stream. Carefully, she stepped to the middle, and bent down. Buried under the sand, was a translucent key. Reaching for it, she pulled it out, looking over the design.

"Canes Vinatici, the hunting dogs." She told Laxus. "This completes the set."

"The last key. Now you own all twelve of the Zodiac, and all ten of the Diamond keys. This should make you as strong as a s-class." Laxus praised. "Call it out."

Lucy raised the key, slashing it in the air. "Open, Gates of the Hunting Dogs, Canes Venatici!" A flash of silver and gold, before two male stepped out, sporting identical grins. They were twins from the looks of it. A mop of gold hair on one and silver on the other. But apart from that, they were impossible to tell apart. Forest green eyes, broad and tall. Dress in a tunic and lose pants, with a collar like thing on their necks. They bowed in unison, before the one with silver hair spoke.

"We are the hunting dogs, I'm Canes, he's Venatici. We are able to-"

"Control and talk to animals, and our secondary powers are being able to transform into hunting dogs." Venatici ended.

"Its a pleasure to serve you, princess." They spoke together.

Lucy laughed. Her spirits were really one of a kind. "Its a pleasure to meet you two. You two are just like Gemini."

Canes pouted, "We are much more powerful." Venatici nodded, before they bowed and left for the spirit world.

"Yep, definitely s-class." Laxus smiled, wrapping an arm around Lucy.

"Lets see about that after we finish this Kuro business. I just might try for it." Lucy smiled, then her expression turned determined. "But first, we help the spirits. We are going to win this."

**And so Lyon appears. Sorry it took so long, between settling in and getting sick, and visiting. There was hardly anytime.**

**Thank you for your reviews! Looking forward for the next chapter? The final battle is about to start! How do you like the new key?**

**Summer**


	23. Chapter 23

**Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail**

**Chapter Twenty Three**

Lyon shook Wendy a couple more times, looking over his shoulder with worry and apprehension at the closing in mages. He knew he couldn't defeat them all, though he could still put up a hell of a fight, but by fighting, he'd leave the unconscious Wendy vulnerable. His only other option was to attempt and run for it with her, but he knew that wouldn't work either. Which meant, recapture.

Growling under his breath, Lyon decided to try one more time to wake Wendy. Grabbing her shoulders, he gave her a rough shake, yelling her name in an attempt to wake her. He was about to give her another shake, when he was knocked back by a blast of shadow.

He glared up at the person who'd hit him, his hands ready to form ice, when he stopped. This guy wasn't like the rest. The shadows convulsed around him, just like the other mages, but this one didn't have the look of being controlled. Half his face was hidden behind a beak like mask, and large feathered wings sprung from his back.

He hovered over Wendy in an almost protective like manner, and seeing Lyon ready to attack him again, the shadows around him convulsed, forming into a large ball that he was ready to direct at the silver haired mage.

Lyon held out his hands, stopping his flow of magic, and that glared at the shadow user, "What are you doing with Wendy?" he asked, his voice threatening.

Corvus lifted his head, cocking it at an unnatural angle, then from within his mask, his voice leapt forth, "I'm taking her away from this place, my Master sent me to save her." he answered.

Lyon drew his eyebrows forward, his face a mask of confusion. "Master? You mean... Wait, are you a Celestial Spirit! Did Lucy send you?" he asked, hope springing up in him.

Corvus tilted his head again, "You know my Master?" he questioned.

Lyon nodded, as his spark of hope blew into a full fledged flame, "We're friends! Our guild's are friends! Can you get us both out of here?" he asked, his voice almost begging.

Corvus nodded his head, "Yes, but if you're lying about knowing my Princesss. I will kill you." he uttered, his tone deathly serious.

Lyon gulped and nodded, then, sending a final ice dragon at the approaching mages, he leapt forward, jumping into the convulsing shadows beside Wendy. Clutching onto Corvus shoulder, he watched as the Spirit cradled Wendy in his arms, and then the three of them began to dissolve, disappearing into the shadow.

Lyon felt his body dissolve, the feeling topping his list of unpleasant experiences. It was like being disembodied, he knew he was there, but he couldn't feel himself, nothing but a phantom sense of where his body was. The world seemed to rush past them, blurring by like a black vortex, shadows twisting and rushing around them.

Just when Lyon began to think he couldn't take any more of the feeling, it was absolved by a sudden sense of light, a glowing light, full of love and warmth. A single word seemed to echo and resound across the vortex, Princess.

Lyon frowned, and then realized, the Spirit must be feeling the call of his Master, the call of Lucy. He'd heard before about the bond of Spirit's with their Masters, but he'd never really seen it first hand, Lucy being the only Spirit Mage he knew. So, suddenly feeling how strong, how amazing and powerful the bond was, left Lyon flabbergasted. He could feel the power, the strength, and the love being Lucy's magic, and to say he was shocked, would be an understatement. Lyon would never again perceive Lucy as weak.

With a sudden flash of light, Lyon was deposited roughly on the ground, his body suddenly wracked with chills, and he found himself choking on air, coughing violently. He felt someone move over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder, and then he heard a soft gentle voice, "Lyon, are you okay?"

After being able to breathe again, Lyon looked up, finding himself staring into the worried gase of Lucy, who was bent down beside him, Laxus Dreyar standing closely behind her. Wincing slightly, Lyon nodded his head, "Yes, I'm okay. Your Spirit saved us."

Lucy smiled, "That's Corvus. He's pretty amazing, huh?" she asked, her eyes glinting warmly.

Lyon nodded his head, and had to fight the sudden warm feeling inside him, shocking himself that he was feeling it aimed at Lucy. It was often that he found himself feeling anything towards a woman, so feeling it now surprised him. But seeing the way Laxus hovered protectively beside Lucy, his gaze always on her, Lyon knew he had to squash that feeling.

Turning his head, Lyon saw Corvus gently setting Wendy on the ground, who was only now starting to stir. Lucky her, not having to experience the weird shadow jumping, he thought, with a grimace.

Wendy looked up, her eyes finding Corvus face, and she squeaked with fear, her cheeks immediately puffing out as she readied a roar, but before she could, Lucy jumped forward, "Wendy! No!" she yelled, "He's my Spirit!" she said, her voice edging on panic as she watched Wendy ready to release.

Wendy eye's immediately widened, and she quickly turned her head away, releasing her roar at the trees. We all stared dumbfound as it knocked several over, creating a large whirlwind. Crovus audibly gulped. "Well, Princessss. I may be powerfull... But even I doubt I could have withstood that with no damage. Thank you..." he said, his voice whispery and deep.

Lucy nodded her head, "Of course. Now, time to meet up with the other team, and then we storm Kuro's hideout. Are you okay to join us Wendy, or would you like me to have Cygnus send you home?"

Wendy shook her head, "No, I want to come. Will I have time to recover first?" she asked.

Lucy nodded, "Yes, you'll have enough time. And you, Lyon? Jura will be with out group." Lucy said, turning to Lyon.

Lyon grinned, "Just try and get rid of me. I need my payback." he said, clenching his fist.

Lucy smiled, "Good, then in that case, I'll call Cygnus." Then, with a smile, she told everyone she'd be right back, and taking hold of Corvus shoulder, she led him a few feet away, Laxus watching her every step of the way with a jealous frown.

Leaning towards him, Lucy smiled warmly. "Corvus, I can't thank you enough for saving my two friends." she said.

Corvus nodded his head, bending it into a slight bow, "I would do anything for you, my Princesss. All you need do is assk." he murmured, his hand reaching for her. Then, bowing his body again, he pulled her hand to his lips, pressing down his mask, and kissed her gently, disappearing while his lips still touched her skin.

Lucy smiled after him, and then turned back to the group, walking over to hold Laxus hand, delivering him a quick kiss to the cheek. "Stop pouting. You know he's just a friend." she murmured, causing Lyon to laugh.

"Yea, that looked really friendly." he muttered to himself, making Laxus scowl further.

Lucy rolled her eyes, and then drew forth her keyring, calling to her Spirit. A moment later, and her Swan appeared. "Off to meet the group then?" he asked, his voice deep and serene, calming everyones nerves.

Lucy nodded her head, "Yes, do we know where they are?" she asked.

Cygnus nodded, "Of course. I know many things." he said, his voice sounding faintly mysterious.

Bending his neck, Cygnus touched his beak to the ground, creating the portal for them to go through, and as one, they all reached for each other's hands, Lyon grimacing and clutching his stomach at the thought of another fast travel, and Laxus gritting his teeth.

Lucy closed her eyes as they rushed through the portal, opening them as soon as the traveling feel was done, bending her legs just in time to plant them in the ground, giggling as everyone else landed face first. Then, looking up, she smiled, as she found herself staring into the face of the rest of the group, Team Natsu, The Raijinshuu, Jura, and Gajeel.

Laxus stared in surprise at him team, and then smiled as Freed stepped forward, explaining that it was their duty to accompany their leader into situations as dangerous as this. Natsu behind him rolled his eyes, "Yea, right. You're just looking for a good fight!" he yelled with a happy grin.

Lucy rolled her eyes, and then turned to Gajeel, smiling and greeting him, then she turned again to watch as Jura moved towards Lyon, clasping his shoulders tightly, and telling him how happy he was that he was safe.

A smile lit her face as she watched everyone interact. Erza fawning over Wendy, Gray picking on Lyon for getting caught, Gajeel and Natsu bickering over something, the Raijinshuu gushing and rejoicing over being with Laxus again, and then her and Jura, standing slightly apart, watching it all unfold.

It all just felt so perfect, and she found herself hoping that things would stay happy. That in the upcoming fight, no one would get hurt. If someone died, or was seriously injured, because of her, she would feel so guilty, and Lucy couldn't stand the thought of it. Just thinking it made her want to send them all home and take on the mission by herself, but she knew she wasn't strong enough, not yet. She knew she had to rely on her friends, and their strength, their ability to work as a team, laying it all on the line for the sake of the others.

Lucy smiled softly again, and somehow, in her heart, she knew it'd all be okay. They always managed to pull through. She had a Wizard Saint, and Laxus on her side. Not to mention Gajeel who was formerly S-class. And Erza, who was S-class. Well, everyone here was strong. Yes, Lucy thought, while nodding her head, they would all be okay.

Raising her hand, Lucy called out, grabbing everyone's attention. "Listen up guys. We're all going to make camp here for tonight, and tomorrow we will take down Kuro. Let's all try and get a good night's rest. Okay?" she said, smiling when everyone nodded their heads.

After Virgo had set up everyone's tents, bring them over from the Spirit World, Lucy slipped wearily into hers. Feeling tired after the day. She felt exhausted. Not from magic depravation, but more from the constant travel, and the almost rushed feel of the past couple weeks. Her mind could scarcely believe all that had happened.

She had somehow gather all ten of the diamond keys, a feat not achieved since they were first made. She was able to call on them, and hold them out now for longer periods of time. She was dating, and in love with Laxus of all people. She had always figured that she would end up with Natsu, or maybe Gray, but Laxus. That was completely unexpected. And then the fact that their was a man out there, and his sole purpose was to sacrifice her and bring back his late wife. The very thought made Lucy shudder.

She was still shuddering when Laxus slipped into the tent. He immediately noticed her look of worry, and he was by her side in an instant, wrapping his strong arms tightly around her. "You know it's all gonna be okay, right Blondie?" he asked, his tone soothing and sweet.

Lucy nodded, "Yes, I know that. I do. But still. Just so much has happened the past couple weeks, and now even more. I just can't wait till it's all over. Then the two of us can finally have some time to relax. I'm thinking we need to take a good month off, and you should take me to some wonderful resort, and treat me super good after all this." she said, eyeing him with a tired look.

Laxus laughed, and bent forward, kissing her forehead, and tightening his hold. "I can definitely do that, Baby. And you deserve it. Only the best for you." he murmured, his hand reaching up to brush through her golden locks.

Lucy smiled, "Thanks Laxus. I love you so much. You that, right?" she said, staring into his stormy eyes.

Laxus nodded, "I know. I'm sorry for being jealous of you're Spirits. I don't know if I'll ever not be." he whispered.

Lucy shrugged, "It's fine. I can handle it. But I would never love them more than you. It's a totally different bond. You're my one and only man." she whispered.

Laxus smiled, "Damn, I'll never get sick of hearing that." He mumbled back, then he pressed on her, lightly pushing her back onto the sleeping bag. "Now, relax, and I'll show you a good time." he said, drawing a giggle from the girl, as he descended upon her, showering with passionate kisses, and words of love.

**And, a new chapter for you all. Sorry it took awhile. But as promised, it's here. Hope you all enjoyed it:)**

**Deathsembrace137.**


	24. Chapter 24

**Fairy Tail is © to Hiro Mashima**

**This chapter is by Summer**

**Enjoy everyone! :P**

Lucy woke to the noise outside, stretching out her slightly sore muscles, she peeked outside her tent. Almost everyone was up and about. Erza and Evergreen were making a small fire, seems someone has caught fish, and they were now being cooked above the pit. Lucy grimaced at the thought of eating fish for breakfast, but it will have to do. Looking over, she smiled at Laxus, who was still sleeping soundly. Planting a small kiss on his mouth, she crept out of their tent.

"Good morning!" She greeted. Everyone gave a smile or a wave in return, and Lucy couldn't help but to think what would happen if any one of them were to not make it out alive. She loved every single one of them, and all her spirits too. No, she would not allow that to happen, Lucy would make sure that they came out alive.

The celestial mage went over to the campfire, and sat down on one of the logs. Pulling out her key ring, she held them in the sunlight. Twelve zodiac keys, Ophiuchus's silver black one, ten diamond keys, and her five sliver keys, they were all so precious to her.

Wendy came over and sat down beside her, her face curious. Lucy smiled at the young dragon slayer, "You okay now, Wendy?"

"Yep, my magic is fully recovered. Thank you for saving us, Lucy-san, and your spirit too." Wendy nodded at the diamond keys.

"Well, you were caught because of me and the spirits' problem. If it weren't for me, all of you wouldn't be risking your lives."

"Yes, but we are here because we want to, Lucy. We fight for our friends, and for your spirits." The blonde looked up as Erza walked over to her. The redhead placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her a smile.

"And we fight for our magic, and to protect the world from evil." Lucy was surprised to hear Jura speak.

"We are in this together, we're a team, right Luce?" Natsu grinned.

Lucy looked at each of her guild mates, and those who had come to help her. Her team smiling softly at her, the Rajinshuu standing tall and proud, so much like their leader, Gajeel leaning casually against a tree. Wendy sitting beside her on the bench, looking at her with eyes of admiration, and Lyon and Jura, both with firm smiles on their faces. She wouldn't let them down, she couldn't. 'And we are with you too.' All her spirits whispered, and she felt emotion blasted across the mental link of their minds, filling her with feeling of their protectiveness, their devotion, and their willingness to always have her back. She gave everyone a full on smile, and nodded, small happy tears threatening to break.

"Okay, I hate to break this emotional moment, but I'm hungry." Across the fire, Gajeel was standing arms crossed, looking slightly uncomfortable.

Everyone laughed, and the worries were momentarily forgotten as they sat down to eat. Throwing fish around from one plate to another, everyone enjoyed their time together before the big battle. Lucy looked over at her tent as Laxus walked out, his hair slightly ruffled from sleep. She scooted over, patting the space beside her.

Laxus walked over, noticing that his girlfriend was much happier than last night. Whatever he had missed from the one and only time he slept in, it had helped Lucy in some way. He ruffled her hair gently, before dropping onto the log beside her. The celestial mage threw him a fish, before taking one for herself. "So, what's the plan?" Laxus asked.

Everyone looked at Lucy, who was half way finishing her fish. She blinked, then glared at Laxus, annoyed by the interruption of her breakfast. "We can all attack inside together, but one or two groups of people will need to stay behind and fight, depending on how much people we meet in there. Laxus and I defiantly will go for Kuro, anyone else can join us if you'd like. Between Wendy and I, we can wake up these controlled mages."

Erza nodded, "Then I volunteer to stay behind, I'll clear the path for all of you who are going further inside."

"Um, I would like to go with you inside." Wendy looked over at Lucy, the blonde nodded her assent to the young blue haired mage, who smiled at being allowed into what she deemed, the more dangerous part of their mission.

"Do you think it would be smart to let Natsu go with you?" Lyon spoke up. "From what I remember, there were some ice mages, including myself that were being controlled. Fire could beat ice."

"Yes! That is a good idea." Lucy praised, she directed a smile in his direction. No one noticed the blush that adorned the ice mage's face afterwards, except for Laxus who shot him a glare, causing Lyon to immediately look away.

"That is settled, the rest will be fighting where ever needed. Our plan might not work once we're inside the cave. No one knows anything about it. It's going to be hell, so be ready for whatever comes." Laxus warned, he put an arm around Lucy, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

Everyone nodded, some excited, others worried, but all in all they were ready. Quickly, they finished the rest of their breakfast. Cleaning up their camp, they gathered together. Lucy pulled out her keys, and picked out a diamond key. "Open, gates of the Swan, Cygnus." Everyone except Laxus looked in fascination as the spirit appeared.

"Princess." Cygnus greeted.

"Can you open a portal to Kuro's entrance? Not right in front, just enough so we're not seen." Lucy said.

"Of course, there will be undergrowth in front of you, if you look past, you will find the entrance." The spirit dipped his beak, and the portal opened.

"For all you dragon slayers, I suggest you close your eyes." Lucy said, for there was quite a number of them with her group. Then she and Laxus walked in first. A swirl of gold, and then she was falling. Bracing her legs, she landed on her feet. Lucy smiled, she was getting good at this. They both were, she thought, as Laxus landed easily beside her. The pair walked back a few paces, and waited for the others.

Erza came first. Calmly, she landed on her knees, and made way as Wendy fell downwards. Boosting herself with wind was the only reason she didn't land face first. The rest came steadily, landing in various positions, on their butt, or flat on the ground. Natsu and Gajeel went straight into the bushes, their faces green.

"That makes everyone." Erza said.

Lucy crouched behind the undergrowth, and looked over. A big mountain like structure was in front of them. Lucy could make out around five guards, with a metal door. No wonder no one found them before, this was just like one of the many hills and mountains that dotted this area. No one would have guessed. Beckoning Gajeel forward, she pointed to the door. "You think you can break that down?"

He studied the structure. "Piece of cake." Gajeel nodded.

Erza was standing on the side, frowning. "Lucy, what can stop Kuro from controlling all of us?"

Lucy looked surprised, she hadn't even considered the idea. If Kuro managed to control any of their party, that would cause trouble, no one was willing to hit the other. A sudden idea hit the idea, something Levy had once said, and though Levy wasn't here, Freed was. The blonde walked over to the Raijinshuu member. "Fried, do you think you can draw runes to prevent controlling?"

The greenhead thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, as long as the rune stays with them, then it will be able to prevent any controlling mage's magic affects." Fried pulled out his sword, and wrote the rune on his forearm. It gleamed purple.

Lucy nodded, and called everyone forward, the rune mage began to apply the runes. When it was Lucy's turn, she declined. "My keys protect me." she explained.

When everyone was safely protected, Wendy and Gajeel approached first. Taking a deep breath, Wendy let out her healing roar. The unsuspecting guards where caught by surprise, they slammed against the door, falling on the ground. The sky dragon slayer ran up, feeling their pulse. "They're alright, Lucy-san."

Lucy walked over, scanning them over, she nodded in relief. "We have to leave them here, lean them on the wall." She couldn't help but feel a stab guilt leaving them here like this, but they had no other choice. They carried them over to the bushes, and laid them on the grass.

"Gajeel?" Lucy motioned for the door. The dragon slayer raised his arms, changing them to steel, and smashed at the entrance. It came apart, crumpling into large chunks. "Come on, we need to hurry. They're bound to find out soon that the guards are missing."

She and Laxus walked in first, then Gajeel, who grabbed a piece of metal to chew on, then the rest. Lucy looked around, the narrow tunnel was dark, their footsteps echoed soundly. She looked over at Laxus, gesturing to the darkness. The dragon slayer held up his palm, and a lightning ball appeared, lighting the tunnel. Lucy then looked back, and whispered loudly to their companions behind. "Anyone who can make light, share it, don't make too much."

Lucy felt unnerved by the silence, so she moved over, so that she was walking closer to Laxus, her eyes darting around. It would be dangerous to just place five guards by the doorway, unless Kuro was careless, which she highly doubted, there would be more than just this. Lucy looked to her left, where her eyes caught a flash of red, just as red darts started to fire.

"Arrows!" She screamed, dropping to the ground.

"Everyone gather together." Gray's voice echoed, a small shelter made of ice surrounded them, stopping the arrows from hitting. Lucy looked around franticly, trying to find the source of attack. At the very base of the wall at her left, a red light flashed. Taking out her whip, she smashed it onto the device. Immediately, the arrows dropped. Gray dispelled the ice, and it came crumbling down.

Lucy picked up the crushed pieces of the device. It was a trigger of some sort, a small round ball, "There is a camera in this thing." Laxus said over her shoulder.

"There is one on the opposite end too." Erza called over, she was holding up another similar piece of intact trigger. "I'm going to crush it. Kuro is bound to know we're here by now." The redhead threw it against the wall, and it broke apart. The rest started arguing on what to do.

"Everyone shut up, I hear footsteps." Gajeel hissed, focusing his eyes down the corridor.

Laxus looked around them, a frown shown clearly on his face. "We're at a disadvantage, this place is too small to fight freely in, and we can't back out if we wanted to."

"Then we move forward, if we meet them on the way, we'll attack then. Corvus can sneak us forward so we attack both ways. I'm guessing this is a big group we're facing here." Lucy said, pulling out her key, looking at everyone for approval. Wendy stepped forward, as did Gray and Lyon.

"Good, then we'll go forward by shadows." Lucy smiled suddenly. "I love you guys. Don't you dare try to get yourselves hurt."

Everyone nodded. The blond mage then twisted her key, calling out Corvus. "Princess." the Spirit murmured, with a dip of his beak as a greeting, he continued. "I came on my own power. Save as much energy as you can, you'll need it later." Lucy smiled thankfully to her Spirit, who looked at her with warmth in his black eyes.

Turning her head, she gave them a wave, she didn't dare say goodbye. Then she nodded at Corvus, he made a small gesture, and a large pool of shadows gathered beneath her and her group, and she felt herself dissolve into pieces. She couldn't feel her arms or legs, but somehow, it felt warm and comfortable. She felt herself glide forward with the shadows, feeling the presence of Corvus as he spoke into her mind, "These controlled people are not far ahead, there are a large number of them."

Lucy saw images, sent to her by Corvus, the number of guards from above, there were so many of them. She couldn't stop the worry that crept into her heart. She sensed their magic, almost half were shadow mages, there were also many other kinds. Lucy wondered how much families were missing them now, how long they'd been kept like this. She felt a burning rage, Kuro was going too far.

She was a celestial mage, she possessed diamond keys, and she was going to save these people. The first thing she needs to do, find Kuro.

**Hey you all. I'm so sorry it's been this long. School starts for me, and I just had no time at all, Death too. Hopefully we'll update more recently. By the way, I changed my user name to 'LifeInTheSky'. I was Summer L. Sora before.**

**We love your reviews, they give us so much support. Thanks for waiting. Next few chapters are going to be epic. Wait and see!**

**~Summer**


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter Twenty Five**

**Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail**

Corvus set the four mages down just a few feet behind the last of the mages storming in the direction of their friends. Moving silently, they formed their position, with the two boys, Gray and Lyon, flanking Lucy and Wendy. Corvus stayed beside Lucy as well, silently awaiting her orders.

The group quietly snuck up behind the mages, and then, both male ice mages stepped forward, and with a single shared look, knelt down, covering the cavern floor with a thin layer of ice. As one, the entire group of opposing mages slipped, and began flailing and falling down the gently sloping cavern.

A distant glow of flame, along with the shouts of raised voice and fighting spells reached Lucy's ears, and she smiled softly to herself. Be safe everyone, she thought. Then, turning her head, she nodded at Corvus, as she pulled her whip out, snapping it to the side.

"Princess, if you'll allow me to work with you?" Corvus said, holding out his hand.

Lucy gazed at him curiously for a moment, before taking his hand. He had so far given her every reason to place her trust in him, and this situation was no different. If Corvus knew a way to help her fight, even with her meager skills, she'd take that chance.

Corvus turned them both into shadow, and he took a large step. They solidified in the middle of the group, just enough for Lucy to snap her whip, scattering the mages who'd pulled themselves up onto their feet, and causing them to fall back along the ice floor.

As soon as the whip finished its movement, Lucy was again shadow, moving to a new place along the wall of cavern. This time, when they stopped, Corvus reached for whip hand, pressing his shadow magic to weld into the whip of water. She watched with amazement as the whip expanded even further, tendrils of shadow escaping it.

This time, when they snapped it, almost the entire group of mages fell to their feet, and while they were down, Corvus summoned a large dark cloud, lowering it down atop them, blinding them completely.

Lucy could faintly hear Wendy in the background, running from mage to fallen mage, and using a quick healing spell to stop the mind control, but there was no way she was moving fast enough. And Lucy knew calling Phoenix to help wouldn't make it go by much faster. It was then, that she was struck with an idea.

Turning to Corvus and giving him a quick smile, she pulled forth two more keys. A gold one and a silver one. After assuring that Corvus was still using his own power, Lucy called her two Spirits. "Aries! Lyre!"

The amount of energy that left Lucy left her speechless. There was almost no effect. Had summoning the diamond keys these past few weeks made her that much stronger? Strong enough that calling a gold key barely affected her. Amazing.

Turning to Aries, Lucy motioned at the mages still struggling in the dark on the ground. "Wool bomb, cover them all up." she said. Then, she turned to the Lyre. "Lyra, would you sing a lullaby?" she asked.

Lyra smiled and nodded, kneeling down beside her harp to start her work, while Aries stepped forward, mumbling her mantra of 'I'm sorry' and blasting pink fluffy wool from her hands.

Corvus squeezed the hand that still clasped Lucy's tightly, "Good move, Princess." he whispered, as he let his dark cloud fade, showing them that all the mages were now asleep. Lucy grinned back at Corvus and nodded, and then glanced around, watching as their two groups rejoined in front of them.

Laxus glared quickly at their entwined hands, and the Spirit gently removed his from Lucy, though he didn't step away. The rest of the group turned to Lucy, awaiting what she thought best. Lucy felt an inward surge of insecurity. How had she ended up leading the group. Leading not only S-class mages, but also a wizard saint. It was an almost impossible notion to her, and a few weeks, she would have laughed. But now, she could only think of the best possible idea.

"Erza, stay behind with Wendy, and the Raijinshuu to protect Wendy incase anyone awakes. Wendy keep waking these mages from their controlled state. Once they're all awake, take a rest if you need to, but other wise move forward. The Raijinshuu can escort the mages outside, and explain what happened, they may be disoriented, depending on how long they've been controlled." Lucy said, her voice somehow finding authority, and she watched as everyone nodded, agreeing to her orders.

Lucy then turned, and with Lyon leading the way, since he vaguely remembered the tunnels, the rest of the group, Jura, Gajeel, Natsu, Gray, Juvia, Lucy and Laxus, moved forward. Lucy two Spirit's, Aries and Lyra disappeared, but Corvus stayed glued to her side. And they'd barely made it several feet when a red puff of smoke appeared around Lucy, and then Draco was lying curled over her shoulders.

Turning to blink his bright eyes at Lucy, he gave a sly grin, "I came on my own power Princess. I have a vendetta with Kuro. So, I wish to see this entire mission through. I was delayed before, so I sadly missed the first part, but now, I am here to protect you, as I failed with my last Master." the dragon explained.

Lyon and Jura watched with open mouths, at the tiny dragon, that held such a powerful voice, not to mention the sheer feel of his magic power. But, he was so tiny, could he really do much? As if sensing their thoughts, Draco turned to them, and his unwavering, threatening gaze, told them, yes. He could do anything he needed to.

The group continued on for a while, until Lyon came to a stop, scratching at his head as he glanced around. Several tunnels branched off the main one, and you could see his confusion clearly written out over his face.

Gray scoffed, and reached forward, smacking Lyon's shoulder, "Really! You don't know where to go, some help you are." he said, shaking his head at the older mage.

Lyon scowled, "I was being controlled, it's all hazy." he said, glaring his hardest at Gray.

Lucy immediately stepped between the two, her and her dragon glaring until they quieted, and paled. Corvus chuckled quietly to himself. "If you're both done, Draco, do you have any recollections?" she asked.

Draco shook his head, "I'm afraid not, Princess." he murmured.

Lucy nodded, "Then how about your nose, can you Draco, or maybe Laxus, or one of you other slayers, can you sniff out any people?" she asked.

The slayers and dragon all looked at each other, waiting for someone else to step forward. Finally, Gajeel sighed and walked towards the tunnels, taking a deep whiff of each, and looking faintly reminiscent of a dog. When he finished and came back, he pointed towards two. The others are abandoned, but I smells fresh tracks off those two. We can split up, or just pick one." he said, his voice grudging and ruff.

Lucy nodded, and glanced around at everyone. Did they dare split their group even more? Biting her lip slightly, she slowly nodded. "Okay, we're going to split up, if that's okay?" she said.

Everyone nodded, so she continued, "Gray, Laxus, Gajeel and I will go this way. Natsu, you take the lead in that direction, make sure to use your fire so they can all see, and Jura, Lyon and Juvia will stay with you. Jura is in charge." she said, her voice firm as Natsu opened his mouth to fight to stay with her. But, she already had a fire dragon, so it was better to split the two, as well as splitting the two ice mages. Jura and Laxus were easy, an S-class/ wizard saint for each group, and then just her and Juvia, evening out the split.

Lucy group walked past the others, and immediately set out, ignoring Juvia mumbling to herself about wishing she was with Gray. Laxus stayed glued to her one side, with Corvus pressing in almost as tightly as him on her other side. But Lucy didn't mind. She loved both her overprotective boyfriend, and her overprotective Spirits.

The group was walking along, and as Lucy was thinking about how she wished she knew what was up ahead, she came up with an idea. Turning to Corvus, she gently touched his hand, "Hey, could you take me up ahead in the shadows to scout?" she whispered.

She felt Laxus tense up on her other side, but ignored him. She was willing to put her safety at risk for the sake of the others. She wanted to make sure there were no ambushes up ahead, or booby traps or anything like that. She just wished she thought of scouting earlier.

Corvus inclined his head toward Lucy, and reached his hand out, "Of course, my Princess."

Lucy smiled, and took his hand, letting go of Laxus as she did so. "Everyone, I'm going scouting ahead. Draco, are you coming or staying?" she asked.

Draco frowned, and then unwound from her neck, "I shall stay with your lover. I dislike the feeling of shadow travel." he said as he hopped swiftly, his wings expanding to allow him to glide to Laxus shoulder, where he curled up against him.

Laxus, for his part, didn't seem the least bothered by how he was referred to as Lucy's lover, or by the fact that he now had a dragon counterpart, at least for a little while. Gajeel though looked at Draco somewhat jealously, no doubt wanting a dragon for himself. Gray smiled towards Lucy, "Be careful, Lucy. Keep her safe Corvus." Gray offered. He was looking at Lucy almost wistfully. She had become strong, he thought. Strong enough to move on her own, taking the initiative, and leading them. He had always known she'd had it in her, so it made him happy to see his hopes for her fulfilled.

Lucy smiled towards Gray and nodded, then with a last look at Laxus, she faded to shadow. She and Corvus moved quickly, rapidly closing the distance between them and the end of the tunnel, which turned out to be a large cavern.

The cavern was ice cold, causing even Lucy and Corvus, cloaked in shadow, to feel the biting chill. And the reason for the chill, stood prominently on a pedestal in the wood. A horizontal stone slab laid on the pedestal, and on that slab, laid a beautiful woman. Her brown hair, was crusted with slow, her skin pale, and almost transcalent. Snowflakes dotted her face and lashes, giving her an ethereal like quality. Her lips though, were blue. She was clearly dead, or very close to it.

All around stood ice wizards, sending a cooling breeze, and slight gusts of ice towards her. Keeping her cool and frozen, stuck in a permanent state of half-life. The ice wizards all moved with halting movements, some of them crooked with age. All of them had the glassy black eyes of being controlled.

Lucy grimaced. She wondered how long the wizards had been forced to do this task, and she hoped to god that the woman wasn't aware of what was going on around her. She would be so ashamed. Of what was happening to her, to the people, and what had happened to Kuro. To think that love, one of the brightest, most amazing things in the world, could turn someone into this.

Seeing movement from the corner of her eye, Lucy and Corvus watched as a man rushed out of a side cavern, his formerly possibly regal looking clothes, now ripped and dirtied. A dulled with age red cloak glided from his shoulders, the ripped edges billowing slightly in the frosted wind created by the ice wizards. His hair hung in messy strands over his forehead, and his face looked drawn and tired. But young, it was not the face of a man several centuries old. It was the face of a man just barely over her own age.

The man glanced frantically around, before continuing on to sit in a chair beside the stone. Ignoring the ice wizards, the man bent forward, his mouth grazing the cheek of the frozen woman. "My darling wife, Adessa. I don't know what to do. My plans, they're falling apart." he whispered, crying into her hair. His hand reached up, clutching desperately at her arm. "They want to take you away from me! They want to kill me. And to steal my magic, my youth." he mumbled, his eyes pacing from side to side.

The man, Kuro, began bobbing his head, "Yes, yes. Adessa. I must kill them. I must. It's just the pesky Celestial Mage. She is strong. And stubborn. And she has them all, all the diamond keys. It is unthinkable. I do not know how to stop her. Unless..."

The man began mumbling, his fingers tracing over his wife's arms, dancing erratically over her limbs. "Maybe. There is a way. A way to get her to do what I want. To give her life to you. Oh, to see you awake, my dearest. To hear you laugh, to see your smile." the man giggled softly to himself, standing up to clutch at his wife's shoulders, shaking her somewhat abruptly. "You've kept me waiting too long, Adessa!" he mumbled, his voice rising to an almost hysterical pitch at the end, tainted with hidden anger.

"How I yearn for you. Need you. Need the warmth of your body, and not this chilled touch. Oh, my Adessa." his head bent down, his forehead touching to her upper chest. "My sweet belle. I will bring you back to me. I must. The two of us. We shall rule the world in immortality. All shall bow before your beauty and my power." he mumbled. "But first, we must do away with Lucy Heartfilia." he said, his voice ending in a cackle.

Lucy shuddered beside Corvus, and nestled deeper into the arm that had wound protectively over her. She felt the Spirit move, and then their forms retreating. "I shall never let him lay a hand on you, my Princess. I would lay down my life for you." he murmured, his voice reassuring.

Lucy smiled up at him, "You are immortal, Corvus." she murmured.

Corvus nodded, "Yes, but even immortals have their ways of dying. Punishments, end of duties. Things that aren't for humans to know, and I am willing to risk it all, everything, to keep the light of your spirit alive."

Lucy frowned, "Do you think that's how Kuro thinks?" she whispered.

Corvus immediately shook his head, "No. I would sacrifice myself for you Princess. But not others. And, if you were ever in a state that belied healing, I would stay by your side, and keep you company as death approached. To do anything else, to do the things that Kuro has done, would be betraying the light inside you. That, I could never do."

Lucy smiled, and leaned into him. "Oh Corvus. Thank you. It means a lot to me to have a friend like you."

Corvus's warm eye gleamed at her, but he stayed silent, only watching her as their forms gently gained substance, the two of them reappearing by the group. Laxus immediately moved forward, pulling Lucy into a hug, "How did it go?" he asked, after he finished scanning her for injury.

"Well..." Lucy said. "I found Kuro."

**And we'll leave it here. Wow, I can't believe this story is nearing the end :/ Ah, but, once this does end, Ill be starting a new story. Already got it planned, and the first few chapters done. Yay!**

**Deathsembrace137**


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